Cleaning my room

by MK Kuol

(inspired by fady joudah)

cleaning my room

has proven

to be an emotionally taxing

ordeal.

the last time i did it―

scrubbing off its walls cobwebs,

smashing some spiders

in the process,

my guilt-stricken self

couldn’t sleep a wink the following week

knowing i had dotted some lifelines;

knowing i had orphaned some of them;

knowing i had widowed some of them;

knowing i had unhomed some of them.

& i wondered,

still wonder, if ever these politicians―

these politicians who declare wars

at the slightest of provocations―

feel the same knowing because of their greed,

some have had their lifelines dotted

some have been orphaned

some have been widowed

some have been unhomed