The Day Help Came

 

Illustration by Gemini.[i]

Poem By Kariuki Wa Njumbi.

As the plane thundered overhead,
the little one smiled—faint, fragile—
at last, he thought, help had come.

He hungered for bread,
for water,
for life.

He was mistaken.

With trembling hands,
he lifted his empty plate—
but death was what descended.

Fire rained from the heavens,
hell unleashed upon him,
though innocence clothed his soul.

And far away, they celebrated.
They named him terrorist—
a child who only begged for bread.

Yes—
a terrorist,
for daring to be hungry.

[i] Generate an Image which elucidates this topic: “As the plane thundered overhead, the little one smiled—..." prompt. Gemini, Google, 14 Apr. 2026, gemini.google.com.

 

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