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The Hanging Nation

Two or three years passed since I gathered jasmines
To make a necklace for the nation
I thought of the nation like a swing
Or a wet- nurse doing the rounds
I thought of it as a mule or a donkey carrying the foreigners` bags
I thought of it as a father with a long moustache raising his stick to history
I thought of it as a mother doing the rounds with her round bread
A year ago
I saw the nation hanging on the Hanging Bridge
I said its convoy will settle
And its children will crawl
Past the blocked bridges to their schools
I saw the nation before the gates of the burnt Ministries
Thin, raising its arms to heaven
I said the promise of the Founding Fathers will come true
And what the New York Times said will come true
And what CNN said will come true
And what USA Today said will come true
And what the BBC said will come true
It will come true. It will come true
I start feeding the nation words
And giving it speech to drink
We sleep together on the pavement of the revolutions
Covering ourselves with satisfaction
We had enough good will
But the hanging nation is still hanging
And the Founding Fathers teach the nation the rules of hypocrisy
While robbing it as it raises its arms to the heavens
Alone, looking at the empty space