The Truth Poem by Hesbon Nyamweya

I wish to speak the truth and nothing but the truth,
For my speech is not for judges neither jury,
But for the blind justice and naked law,
For the defenseless strangled by fury,
And those whose voices are buried below.
Is fairness of law reflected in your expertise?
Tell us why rich criminals are free in the cities,
The poor rot in prisons while cases send them to their knees,
Innocents caved waiting for complainant's mercies,
Prisoners facing stigmatization by the society,
And remandees in holidays of bleak fate of uncertainty.
It is this ‘justice' that set free criminals-
And convict innocents.
It is the same beast that impose
High bails on those without a cent
Then wipe its mouth and pronounce itself served.
And that is the truth and no less truth

As dwellers in this justice tent.
Teach us law and our rights, for this justice we relent.
So, we won't drown in our curiosities,
Questioning what whispers creep in those court corners.
Where proceedings slow but hastens to the 'country owners'.
They swear on Bibles but their tongue spit deceit.
Liberty not from truth, but from who attain defeat.
So, teach us the right law-
To understand why ignorance-
Drowns many in the swamp of injustice
Leaving poverty and despair a bitter pill to swallow
As society wear sheep skin of holiness.
The corridors of justice-
Forms dark corruptible practice
The guardian of justice
Dives in impunity and malice
Marriages between the keepers of law
And the corrupt elites
Giving birth to a bitter concoction called injustice
For this is the truth and no less on one.

Many lives hang in the balance between two rivals
Justice written, and injustice practiced which,
Restricts the discretion and Shun the mitigation that,
Could make this soul have
A second chance through rehabilitation,
Turning ministers of justice to
Advocates of convictions.

It is the truth that money
Serves no case to answer while
Poverty and ignorance of the law render
Constant adjournment
Accused to come back in July,
July comes, the judge travelled
Accused to appear in December,
December prosecutors not ready,
Come back in April.
April comes with the absence of expert witness
Accused to come in August
And within two years,
The fate of the defendant and complainant
Dangle like a confused ball between the
Feet of the so-called keepers of justice
And that is the truth………………

It is the truth that the poor souls,
Who walk in the path of the lesser evil
Come face to face with the injustice beast
Who slap them with quick undefined sentences
To start their early misery behind the tall walls
Appeals within 14 days but heard after years
Files flying in oblivious space between trial and appeal court
Another circle of adjournment starts with years
Waiting and same judgement comes
"My hands are tied"
Again, justice is lost
And uncertain life continues behind bars
So, they make their homes in dungeon
Filled with hopeless souls pilled in 6 by 6 sized cells
With a dark view of evil parallels,
All night the stink of rotting people,
Fumes rising from pyres of live men,
Filling their noses with gassy disgust,
And drown their exposed eyes in tears.
Leading them through the atmosphere-
Of shrieks and private hells,
Entrances and exits, in... out... up... down-
The endless jigsaw of despair.
Waiting hangman to splinter them into a thousand them's.
A hell hole where privacy is a forgone story
With robotic instructions and commands
"Inmate seat!
Inmate stand!
Inmate don't talk until talked to!
Inmate sleep!
Inmate wake up!
Inmate line up!
Inmate disperse!
An everyday routine for the rest of their miserable years
For this is the truth and nothing but the truth

They pray to be heard somehow.
In too many years which seems like a short span of theirs.
Someone whom they were is no one.
Something which they have done is nothing.
Someplace they have been is nowhere.
So they pray for a sky on their imagination ceilings.
To have a glimpse of stars again they once lost,
With only hope of power of mercy
Which smiles and forgive in the presence of money
For this is the truth and nothing but the truth

As they become apprehensive about their future;
And their pasts have turned its back on them.
Shadows they see, forming on the wall,
Pictures of desires protected from their own eyes.
After spending all night constructing a dream,
Morning comes blinding them with light.
So, they seek among mountains of crushed eggshells
For the God damned dream, they never wanted.
Link by link, they forged the chain.
Seeking refuge in the legal aid organisations like Justice Defender
Which shines a new light in their lives
And bring hope and dignity to the dissolution souls
Hoping they will reunite with their families again

For us the voices up the walls
We pray for a time
When justice in papers
Will be justice in practice
And the world will embrace second chance
I hope their voices will climb these tall walls
To the society and we will keep
Saying the truth and nothing but the truth
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