Amidst the flames engulfing the city of Gaza,
a stray mother dog seeks sanctuary
Her soul a battlefield, ravaged and bare
the lives of her pups at stake in a dire fate
Hunger gnaws at their fragile bodies
some succumbing to the brutality of famine
while others fall victim to the ruth-less cross-fire
She howls, but the world remains oblivious.
In the labyrinth of rubble and despair,
her paws trace trails on shattered streets
Each step a prayer, each breath a whimper
Her soles etched with scars; her spirit defiant
Yet the flicker of hope remains, lighting her way
Her eyes, pools of pain and resilience,
mirror the end-less hues of relent-less war.
In the dark night, she seeks solace
Her heart pleads for the safety of her offsprings
A tempest rages, fierce as a desert storm
The moon weeps, shrouded in sorrow
Her worn-out feet bear the weight of her plea
Her arms, like olive branches, shield her pups.
She is a dove, her wings battered and torn,
yet she still soars above the ashen sky
to protect the innocent, even as her dreams fade away.
—
Read – Symphonies of Wisdom – A Poem by Olaseni Kehinde Precious, Nigeria
Akuei Maliet Adol is a South Sudanese poet living in Kenya as a refugee for over two decades. Beyond his inspiring pursuits, Adol is a talented writer and mentor, using his wisdom to empower others. He often writes about health, peace, love, and the plight of refugees. Some of his early works can be found at PanLuel Wel Media Ltd. His poem, “Eyes That See Beyond,” was featured in the 86th edition of Writers Space Africa [WSA] Magazine. Akuei is also the Reviewer of Reviews at WSA Magazine Review and serves as the moderator for WSA (South Sudan). He is an Editor and Co-founder of Ink of Hope Publishers in Nairobi. Currently, Adol is working on his first poetic anthology, “Echoes of a Refugee Soul,” in which he shares his profound refugee experiences to inspire other refugee youth.
Akuei holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Moi University and a postgraduate certificate in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies from the Refugee Studies Centre [RSC] Pathways at the University of Oxford. While at the university, he held various student leadership positions, such as Secretary General for both the Nursing Students’ Association and the South Sudanese Students’ Union. He is currently working as a Nursing Officer Intern at Kapsabet County Referral Hospital in Kenya. Besides his clinical duties, he is a researcher, tutor, global health science enthusiast, sexual reproductive and mental health advocate, and a member of the prestigious Refugee Led Research Hub Society.
As an alumnus scholar of the Albert Einstein German Refugee Academic Initiative, Adol applies his extensive knowledge and skills in refugee advocacy to instill hope in those affected by turmoil. He also works as a certified peace trainer with the Fields of Peace Organization [South Sudan Ignite Peace Circle], focusing on ending violence against children in war-torn countries. Adol is the Executive Finance Officer for Support and Educate South Sudanese Orphans [SESSO], a refugee-led community-based organization in Kakuma. He also serves as the Assistant Public Health Coordinator at diaspora for the Episcopal Diocese of Twic East in Juba, South Sudan. Additionally, he voluntarily serves as the Deputy Chairman for the Twic East Community in Eldoret, Kenya. Some of his core contributions to the community include launching the Twic East Tailoring Training Initiative for South Sudanese refugee women in Eldoret in 2021, writing the Diocesan project proposal for the construction of a mission health centre in South Sudan in 2023, and leading SESSO community fundraising efforts to support South Sudanese orphans in 2019.
