BY FIKRE M. WORKNEH
March 7, 2021
In sorrow I mourn for you, Ethiopia, my beloved land
Where my umbilical cord was buried, where my forebearers lived and died
You are now suffering from civil wars, diseases, and hunger, that is what I heard.
O’ Ethiopia the land of rich history, the cradle of many heritages and customs
The land of many kings and queens with beautiful peoples of many colors and languages
The land of many majestic mountains, hills, valleys, and rivers
And the land of many villages and churches, many forests, and vast open fields.
Your fortunes seem to have fallen, you are indeed going through tough times
Your people are under existential threat from civil wars, diseases, hunger, and droughts.
O’ Ethiopia, you are like a ship in stormy water
Battered and broken, drifting in need of an urgent repair.
O’ Ethiopia, you are like a bird with broken wings
That is unable to rise and get to its nests.
My country! my beloved land! I am really worried
As you embark your road ahead, your travel seems for now full of hazard.
Your belligerent neighbors are waiting for you, to fall or stumble
To take over your mighty rivers, land, and treasure
They kind of believe you are weak, fragile, and vulnerable.
Your enemies are like vultures of the sky, waiting for your last breath
To quench their thirst by drinking your blood and eating your flesh.
While I live an ocean away in a distant land
Please be assured, Ethiopia, you are always in my mind.
My mother home, I know for sure that you are persistently resilient
You will elect to stand your ground to fight for your right.
I have high confidence in you, you will rise again
Like your heroes of the past, you will be rescued by your children.
Yes indeed, your land will be free of hunger, disease, and social turmoil
I foresee a proud and a blessed Ethiopia shinning like a star and standing tall