ROSE
THE ROSE OF JERICHO
The only sounds in the abandoned Liberian
village were the cries of Fatu Sherrif 12
locked away with her mother’s body Starving
& thirsty After more than one week Fatu fell
silent Ebola was 1st detected in the family on
July 20th When health workers arrived Fatu’s
father had been dead 5 days brother Barnie 15
still roams the village alone scrounging for food
He said: No one wants to come near me & they know
I don’t have Ebola The shunning villagers are on the run
themselves shunned by neighbouring towns Only Mamoh Wile
septuagenarian chief + Barnie remain
So how would this play out in our town? Our city’s children
cared for unaware Afternoon women at lunch as worlds have
disappeared What mayhem would ensue? The city you were meant
to triumph in a spent horse And in January ice will cover everything
Whatever you have known is lost Belongings lay abandoned the doors
of houses left open And in the morning it snows some more as packs of
pedigree dogs roam the core fighting over scraps of last night’s dinner
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End of Summer 2014
