Underprivileged

by MK Kuol

(after lydia kasese for samuel mawa joel who knows why)

the quest for national certificates has stirred

awake the long-dead spirit of camaraderie in us.

people who couldn’t otherwise converse

had they met elsewhere but here at DCRNPI

are now murmuring into each other’s ears

like old friends.

it had been nine long hours with us

stuck in a stagnant queue whose beginning or end

none of us knew.

i turned to a not-so-tall, light-complexioned man

behind me & told him, wiping beads of sweat

off my brows: tomorrow, i won’t come again.

after all, with this dark complexion;

with this towering height; with this language i tongue,

i don’t think anyone would dare question

my south-sudaneseness.

the not-so-tall, light-complexioned man

with a shy sigh; with a resigned tone, said:

i must come again tomorrow.

without the national certificate;

without other necessary documents,

someone will dare question my south-sudaneseness.

i must come again tomorrow.

this national certificate will be my south-sudaneseness.

& went ahead to narrate how he has always been,

at borders, singled out & asked to prove he wasn’t a wewe

i think i forget that underprivileged as we all are,

some are unfortunately more underprivileged than others.

* wewe - foreigner in colloquial Arabic