Daddies

Latin American nursery rhyme

Daddies

 

January, February the bread runs out and the dust it chokes

March, April, we heard their treaty was just a hoax

May, June our daddies leave to find plantation bean

July, August, we heard the thrum of their war machine

September, October, with the rain we learn to fear

November, December we keep words in check 'round here,

so that next year, our daddies do not disappear.

 

 

Author's Note

written for the "Modern Day Nursery Rhyme" competition. Based on my experiences in the highlands of Guatemala, and tales of the war that ravaged the villages in the 1970's and 80's. Death squads turned the word "disappear" into an action verb, and was said that dissidents were "disappeared". Thousands of people vanished into the night, most were never seen or heard from again. Families became terrified to speak out, and still will not talk about it. The silence became a legacy for everything bad that could happen. It is easier to know a family member was executed and have a grave to visit. The mass graves are just now being unearthed.

Reviews

[Clockwork]

The subject matter of this piece reminds me what I learned while researching the Aymara for a project earlier this year. This captures the horror suffered in Latin America in the language of a child. This sort of reality has become an all to common one as history has progressed.

[Doctor JKC]

The fear that surrounds a 3rd world nation
ingested by greed and an insane govt./military
who have no power of reason.
God help the everyday person like what
we did to the Vietnamese.
hugs,
Jack

[Jamie S.]

You packed alot of history and info into a short and sweet nursery rhyme! Great writing, sounds like your a history buff? That definatly shines in your work :)

[cest la vie]

I knew you would OUTSHINE us all..LOL..
Powerful , heartbreaking facts packed into a few lines.
Well done...

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

Wow very catchy for being so sad... that nursery rhyme has the most powerful message I ever read.