Just a Boy - Toyisi Shittebey Tribute Poem

A promising Nigerian soccer star was murdered in Dublin for being black on Good Friday. Not much Easter Spirit in Tyrellstown...

Just a Boy

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He was full of life
Every mothers pride and joy
All and everything ahead of him
He was just a boy.

Defending a friend, as all friends do
He took to the heart a knife
And in his arms of that friend
He took the last breaths of life

 

Is this to what Ireland has sunk
What is it in the hearts within
The scum?: for scum they are
Who kill others over colour of skin

They forget, perhaps they did not know
That in England not long ago
Signs of No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish
In adverts and B&B windows did show

 

As a nation as a people
With his loss, we are poorer
We need more of his type among our own
And of that nothing is surer.

Not for him a life of crime
He took and made the most of what he had
And nurtured his talents with the soccer ball
Till others decreed him bad

 

What chance had he, a mere child
Against a fully grown man?
Does this us proud to be Irish make
How has this hatred began

In a land with a history of persecution
Over race, language and faith
Its compassion and hard work, not hatred
That will make Ireland once more great.

Reviews

[Greg the Bard]

Bigets are the worst kind of human. It is hard to trash their hate and see them for what they are. You poem does just that and goes a long way to tell the real story of a traject life.

[holly]

This is very powerful, a cry for justice from the heart. No, I'm wrong, not so much a cry for justice as a cry for a return to sanity. The Irish have had a long sad history of oppression. You make your point that there should be an understanding of other oppressed peoples in the land. And your poem makes it sing.

[Captain Blackheart (The..]

This is wonderfully said. Why are so many judged by the colour of there skin. A touching write my friend!

[Gandré]

heart wrenching. your patriotism is unbeatable.

[David Lewis Paget]

Kudo's for this piece, an uplifiting, idealistic and genuine tribute to the lad who was so unconscionably murdered. Too often this is happening, not only in Ireland, but in all those countries who are accepting refugees and immigrants.

[Dead Angel]

the world is full of people who fear equality and greed for power. its things like this that make me believe there is no hope for mankind. they say our humanity is what separates us from the animals, but i don't see humanity anymore, all i see is brutality. animals have more compassion than we do.

strong poem with strong words. very well written

[Emily B]

I've witnessed the same hatred and racism here in the states and in Germany . . . I wonder if we will ever learn

thanks for bringing this story to our attention

[Donald Meikle]

Well said Tomas. You well know my opinion of Christianity and what it's done to Ireland. Only compassion and hard work will make it great again. That and Celtic pride

[Tomás Ó C..]

Heartbreaking Phibby, and unfortunatly true...