My Light Will Shine | Ange Dusingize

Am I the light that should have shone in the nights of 1994
To lead my people to a safe harbour?
The claws of killers wouldn’t have pierced my kin
My country wouldn’t have sighted blood flowing down the Nile
My motherland wouldn’t have drowned in genocide
History would have praised its prosperity, unity and brotherhood.

But my glow was nonexistent;
I can only track dark traces in my people’s eyes
And the pain in their limbs, lost on the long road
With no place to run to.
I can only read books written in blood,
Painful tales that tore hearts apart,

My light can only conquer darkness
It can only warm hearts of survivors
And protect them from ever witnessing such horror.
My light can only do so much.
My light will shine,
With the glows of “Remember, Unite, Renew” forever.

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Ange Dusingize is a Rwandan poet studying in Romania. Two of her poems have appeared in the first edition of Umukarago under the title ‘Two poems’. She is a writer, poetess and an avid reader. Through writing, she explores the world and gets to live multiple realities as she writes about other people’s experiences and communicates her thoughts and feelings on various topics. She has hopes to publish her first poetry compilation in the near future. In her spare time, she enjoys crocheting, watching movies and following her favourite band, BTS.