As happy as Akur Ajokenn
By David Aoloch Bion
At night in 1929, an unknown assailant
Entered the church compound
Speared a spear into British missionary
Mosquito net and escaped
He slightly hurted the missionary at arm
A spear was taken to the village market by policeman
In civilian clothes shown it to people in cunning manner .
‘’ whose spear is this, we found it on bathing beach at river Nile’’ policeman declared
‘’ it’s my brother in- law -spear’’ someone claimed it
Here mistake of identity occurred
‘’ who’s your brother in law’’
‘’Lual ’’
Lual was son of woman called Akur Ajokenn
Policeman went and arrested him
When he denied the spear,
Authorities never listened
But took to prison
When Akur came to see him
She never found him in prison
And prison ward told that
he was taken to another prison
she went to that prison
She never found him there
She went to big, last and notorious
prison in country
She never found him
she wailed, mourned and believed her
her Son was hanged in prison
By British imperial police
And returned to village
She held last funeral rite for him
After three years, a wife was married
For him according to culture by his
Cousin
In reality, he was not hanged or dead as
Thought by his mother
he was tried and
Sentenced to 20 years in prison
With hard labour for attempt murder
And taken to serve his jail term on Salt mine
When jail terms finished after 20 years
he boarded ship and arrived home
When his mother Akur Ajoken saw him
She cried, cried …. cried for joy
She sang, she danced
She ran, she ululated
She jumped
Up and down till he died of happiness
Note : The origin of this poem is colonial history
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