When they have silenced me,
Do not wail.
Walk upright,
As if my silence had broken nothing.
When my voice falls still,
Shed no tears,
Cry out no revenge.
When my body turns to ash,
Seek no complaint nor trial.
Ask for neither justice
Nor pity.
When my bones melt
Into the forgetfulness of earth,
Do not halt the work,
Do not block the nation’s breath.
Gather,
Toil with faith and sweat.
When I have fallen,
Do not feed hatred.
Do not set fire to the streets,
Do not shatter what our hands built together.
When my breath ceases,
Collect the crumbs of my being,
Offer them to the belly of the soil,
Beneath a tree of peace.
I will know how to rise from silence.
When I am erased,
Do not shout of injustice —
But pray,
Pray with fervor.
For my spirit, light as air,
Shall dwell in your tents.
I shall live in each of you,
Until the return of the Masters of Light.
When they have silenced me,
I will not be gone.
I will have carried the torch
To the peaks of the towers.
Yes,
Even if they sever my head —
I will remain standing…
Within you.
Wendezandeba Ferdinand KABORE is a poet and student of political economy based in Koudougou, Burkina Faso. He writes in both French and English, exploring themes such as silence, resistance, memory, and spiritual awakening.