Guantanamo. Poem by guy lipmore

Aware of the Guantanamo Bay fiasco,
It’s be going on for a decade or so.
Unaware though of the hunger strike story,
Maybe the main channels deemed not newsworthy!
Happened to see it reported by a ‘fringe’ T. V station,
Nothing from any ‘independent’ or the BEEB Corporation.

Forty one days of that obscure hunger strike,
The ultimate stance for the human right.
For basic civil rights, for basic dignity,
A fight against the US, ‘land of the free’!
Fighting against the ‘preacher’ of democratization,
Amid abuse, torture and degradation.
A fight against the years of incarceration,
The battle for due process and legal representation.

If each of those held captive are a ‘terrorist, ’
Present the evidence, campaigners’ insist!
Put them on trial in a court of law!
Why wait all the years, what for?
Is the ‘evidence’ really there? Or is it the case,
Of America not wanting to lose face!
Without a charge, inmates were imprisoned,
No, no process was commissioned.
Captured in ‘theatres of war’ allegedly, they say,
And promptly despatched to Guantanamo Bay.

Many were ‘sold’ to them by bounty hunters,
Are some of the detainees the very hunger strikers?
Nine eleven, the fear and suspicion,
Problem, reaction, solution and prevention!
Early years, international had empathy,
Down the line, less and less credibility.
Years of reviews, and discussions,
Intelligence analysis and commissions.
Change of Government and committees,
Whilst lives are in limbo for the detainees.

White house officials have stated,
The situation has been ‘exaggerated.’
They show pictures of an inmate’s cell,
Depicting a few mod cons’ indicating all was well!
Officials have admitted, come out and said,
There are ‘only’ eleven being force fed!
And that’s out a total of thirty seven they say,
Who are refusing foods in some way?

Silent footage taken at long range,
The ‘inmates’ shuffled along in suits of orange.
Detainees hand-cuffed on carts and wheeled along,
Legs shackled, medieval scenes, they should belong.
Maybe the ‘last straw’ removal of last dignities,
Visitation rights, photos, Quran, even less liberties.
Total humiliation, it seems an endless plight,
Ten years plus, it’s come to a hunger strike!
Inhumane, barbaric and unlawful treatment,
Perpetrated by a ‘civilized’ Government!
By a state who ignores international condemnation,
A nation who has signed the Geneva Convention.
Promises of the current president,
Have yet to become evident.
Western allies’ conveniently ignore,
No ‘main’ coverage for the voices that deplore.

Eighteen days since the start of this poem,
The hunger strike is still on going.
Thoughts kept ‘coming’ through,
Regards to this contentious issue.
Plenty of subject matter,
That may be written later.

Whatever their fate in Guantanamo Bay?
Only Uncle Sam and the future will say!
Whilst they remain and endure,
One aspect is certainly for sure.
As long as the situation persists,
It will ferment and create new and real ‘terrorists.’!

25/03/13