Kidane G. Woldemichael
1811 Republic Street
San Diego, CA 92114-1932
January 28, 2025
His Excellency President Isaias Afwerki
Office of the President
Asmara, Eritrea
Your Excellency,
With the bleeding tears of my soul, I pen this letter of lamentation and a plea not only to you as the leader of Eritrea but to the conscience of the world at large. The atrocities chronicled in my poem, attached: “The Mad Rabidly Hunting Dog,” are not mere figments of imagination but a reflection of the stark reality that has ravaged the Tigrayan people. As the leader of a nation, you hold immense power, and with that power comes an inescapable responsibility—a responsibility to preserve life, dignity, and the future of humanity. Yet, under your watch, the Eritrean forces have sown destruction, leaving behind only sorrow and despair.
The metaphor of the rabid hunting dog, unrelenting in its pursuit, tearing through Axum’s holy grounds, the massacre of Mariam Dengelat, Debre Abay, shattering the innocence of children, women, and elders, encapsulates the devastation inflicted upon Tigray. Through my poetry, I have attempted to capture the depth of this tragedy. Still, no words can truly convey the anguish of a mother cradling her dying child, the terror in the eyes of a young girl robbed of her innocence, or the hollow silence of villages reduced to ashes.
Mr. President, history will remember leaders not for the empires they built, but for the lives, they destroyed or saved. The actions of the Eritrean government—your actions—have etched scars into the heart of a region that will take generations to heal. But even now, there remains an opportunity to alter this legacy. Recognize the humanity of those you call adversaries. Recognize that power without compassion is a void, a shadow destined to fade.
To the leaders and citizens of the world, I extend this plea: bear witness. The tragedy of Tigray is not a distant conflict; it is a stain on humanity’s collective conscience. Every act of silence, every moment of indifference, enables the continuation of such horrors. It is not enough to issue statements of concern or to call for ceasefires that are yet ignored. True solidarity demands action. It demands accountability for those who orchestrate such atrocities and tangible support for those who have endured them.
The people of Tigray are not just victims; they are survivors. Their resilience in the face of unthinkable cruelty is a testament to the indomitable human spirit. Yet resilience alone cannot rebuild shattered lives or resurrect dreams lost in the flames of war. The international community must stand with Tigray, not as passive observers but as active agents of justice and restoration.
President Afwerki, I ask you: What does the rabid dog gain from its rampage? What legacy does it leave behind? Desolation, hatred, and scars that will fester for generations. But you have the power to call it back. You have the power to choose a different path—one of reconciliation, accountability, and peace.
To the global community, I implore you:
- Do not let the cries of Tigray’s children go unanswered.
- Do not let the sacrifices of its people fade into the shadows of forgotten history.
- Act with urgency and conviction to ensure that such horrors are never repeated.
Yours sincerely,
Kidane G. Woldemichael
The Mad Rabidly Hunting Dog: A Poem
Introduction
In this profound and evocative poem, “The Mad RabidlyHunting Dog,” the atrocities committed by the Eritrean government and its forces against the Tigrayan people are vividly conveyed through the metaphor of “The mad rabidlyhunting dog.” The imagery serves as a stark lens to critique the merciless violence inflicted upon innocent lives, from the young to the elderly, leaving a legacy of scars and unanswered questions. Through this work, the poet, Kidane G. Woldemichael, encapsulates the unrelenting devastation while challenging readers to grapple with the emotional and moral void left in the aftermath of such acts. This poem memorializes suffering and compels reflections on the nature of unchecked girth, power, and collective loss.
The Poem
The Mad Rabidly Hunting Dog
Our Neighbor’s Dog is crazy!
Pacing and leaving all the neighbors restless,
Day and night, it barks….
All neighbors have no peace.
Its breath is a storm. It is eyes like flames,
Relentless in pursuit of a master’s cruel aims.
Feathers in its mouth, the blood on its tongue,
It knows no mercy, for its song is unsung.
From village to village, the beast treads,
Turning homes to ashes, the living to dead.
Its paws mark the soil with the weight of despair,
A predator unleashed, consuming the air.
What drives this beast, unhinged and enraged?
A power unbridled, a war unwaged.
It kills not for need nor to survive,
But to erase all that dares to thrive.
Through Axum’s holy grounds, where angels once wept,
It tore through prayers as the faithful slept.
Beneath ancient walls, where history prayed,
A thousand lives were mercilessly laid.
What does the mad, rabid hunting dog gain?
A kingdom of ruin, a legacy of pain.
Its teeth tear through time, its claws through the soul,
Leaving behind an abyss, a void, a hole.
The children’s cries pierce the night,
Their voices faded in the beast’s cruel fight.
The elders fall, their wisdom erased,
Their lives were discarded, their memories defaced.
The women, too, endure the beast’s wrath,
Innocence shattered along its bloody path.
No sanctuary sacred, no refuge found,
The hunting dog’s madness knows no bounds.
Its master stands distant, a shadow of sin,
Pulling the strings as the beast tears within.
Not for justice, not for pride.
But for a darkness that cannot be denied.
What does the mad dog leave in its wake?
A desolation with no heart can take.
Fields turn barren; rivers run red.
The air is thick with the cries of the dead.
The skies above weep, but the beast doesn’t see,
It hunts endlessly without reprieve.
Each step it takes a scar on the earth,
Each breath it draws is a curse to its birth.
What prize does it seek, and what end does it crave?
It cannot redeem what it cannot save.
Its master’s command is a void, a lie,
Sending the dog to kill and die.
Through the shadows of war, its purpose is clear,
Not for glory but to instill fear.
It’s the hand of destruction, the herald of hate,
A servant to cruelty, a tool of fate.
What future awaits this beast unrestrained?
Its legacy scorched, its memory stained.
For the world will remember the horrors it wrought,
The lives it shattered, the battles it fought.
And when the hunt ends, when the beast is no more,
The echoes of anguish will forever implore:
Why did this madness consume so much life?
Why did it revel in chaos and strife?
The mad hunting dog will fade from sight,
But the scars it left will never lose their light.
For in every shadow, in every cry,
The world will remember, and it will testify.
Reflective Summary
The poem “The Mad Rabidly Hunting Dog” poignantly critiquesunchecked cruelty and violence. Through the metaphor of the rabid dog and its master, the poet deftly captures the atrocities committed by the Eritrean government during its assault on Tigray. The dog symbolizes the unrelenting forces of destruction, its actions governed by a master whose motivations remain dark and unfathomable. The vivid imagery of blood-soaked fields, shattered innocence, and desecrated sanctuaries conveys the enormity of the tragedy, ensuring that the reader cannot look away.
The repetition of questions throughout the poem—”What does the mad dog gain?”—is a powerful rhetorical device, emphasizing the futility and senselessness of the violence. The focus on human suffering, particularly the vulnerable—children, women, and elders; grounds the poem in visceral reality, making its themes universally relatable. To conclude, “The Mad Hunting Dog” is both a memorial and a call to conscience. It implores humanity to reckon with the devastation wrought by hatred and unchecked power, ensuring that the scars of such atrocities are neither forgotten nor repeated.
With sincere gratitude,
Kidane G. Woldemichael
January 28, 2025
Kidane G. Woldemichael
1811 Republic Street
San Diegom CA 92114
January 28, 2025
His Excellency President Isaias Afwerki
Office of the President
Asmara, Eritrea
Your Excellency,
A Plea for Reflection and Justice: “The Mad Rabidly Hunting Dog“
With trembling hands and a heavy heart, I write to you and the world, compelled by the indescribable pain and sorrow that afflict my people. The atrocities committed against the Tigrayan population, mirrored in the haunting imagery of my poem “The Mad Rabidly Hunting Dog,” leave scars too profound to ignore. This letter carries the weight of countless lives lost and an urgent plea for humanity to awaken from its silence.
Enclosed below is the poem that cries out from the depths of my soul, speaking of the devastation wrought upon a people who deserve peace, dignity, and the preservation of their heritage:
The Mad Hunting Dog
Our Neighbor’s Dog is crazy!
Pacing and leaving all the neighbors restless,
Day and night, it barks—
All neighbors have no peace.
Its breath is a storm, its eyes like flames,
Relentless in pursuit of a master’s cruel aims.
Feathers in its mouth, the blood on its tongue,
It knows no mercy, for its song is unsung.
From village to village, the beast treads,
Turning homes to ashes, the living to dead.
Its paws mark the soil with the weight of despair,
A predator unleashed, consuming the air.
What drives this beast, unhinged, and enraged?
A power unbridled, a war unwaged.
It kills not for need nor to survive,
But to erase all that dares to thrive.
Through Axum’s holy grounds, where angels once wept,
It tore through prayers as the faithful slept.
Beneath ancient walls, where history prayed,
A thousand lives were mercilessly laid.
What does the mad hunting dog gain?
A kingdom of ruin, a legacy of pain.
Its teeth tear through time, its claws through the soul,
Leaving behind an abyss, a void, a hole.
The children’s cries pierce the night,
Their voices faded in the beast’s cruel fight.
The elders fall, their wisdom erased,
Their lives were discarded, their memories defaced.
The women, too, endure the beast’s wrath,
Innocence shattered along its bloody path.
No sanctuary sacred, no refuge found,
The hunting dog’s madness knows no bounds.
Its master stands distant, a shadow of sin,
Pulling the strings as the beast tears within.
Not for justice, not for pride.
But for a darkness that cannot be denied.
What does the mad dog leave in its wake?
A desolation with no heart can take.
Fields turn barren; rivers run red.
The air is thick with the cries of the dead.
The skies above weep, but the beast does not see,
It hunts endlessly without reprieve.
Each step it takes a scar on the earth,
Each breath it draws is a curse to its birth.
What prize does it seek, and what end does it crave?
It cannot redeem what it cannot save.
Its master’s command is a void, a lie,
Sending the dog to kill and die.
Through the shadows of war, its purpose is clear,
Not for glory but to instill fear.
It’s the hand of destruction, the herald of hate,
A servant to cruelty, a tool of fate.
What future awaits this beast unrestrained?
Its legacy scorched, its memory stained.
For the world will remember the horrors it wrought,
The lives it shattered, the battles it fought.
And when the hunt ends, when the beast is no more,
The echoes of anguish will forever implore:
Why did this madness consume so much life?
Why did it revel in chaos and strife?
The mad hunting dog will fade from sight,
But the scars it left will never lose their light.
For in every shadow, in every cry,
The world will remember, and it will testify.
This poem is not merely a lament but a call to conscience. The rabid hunting dog is a metaphor for the unrelenting forces of destruction unleashed upon Tigray, obliterating lives, culture, and history. The desecration of Axum’s sacred grounds is a wound not just to Ethiopia but to humanity as a whole. The cries of children, the silenced wisdom of elders, and the anguish of women demand answers.
Your Excellency, as the leader of Eritrea, you hold the power to shape a different legacy—one that fosters peace and reconciliation rather than destruction and despair. The international community, too, must awaken to its moral responsibility to intervene and ensure that such atrocities are neither ignored nor repeated.
This letter, written with the bleeding tears of my soul, implores you and the world to reflect on the path chosen. I fervently hope that humanity will heed this plea, that the hunting dog will be leashed, and that the light of justice and healing will dawn upon Tigray and all afflicted by this senseless violence. Peace be on Earth.
Kidane G. Woldemichael
January 1, 2025
ኣብ መወዳእታ ትምኒተይ ክገልፅ፡- እዚ ቅሉዕ መልእኽቲንግጥሚን ካብ ጸፍሒ ዕመቀ ህሊናይ ብዝፈልፈለ፣ ንብዓት ደመ-ነፍሰይ እየ ጽሒፈዮ። ክልተ ነገራት ክዓ እምነ፡- እዚ መልእኽቲን ግጥሚን ኣብቲ ዝድለ፣ ኣብ ኢድ ኢሳይያስ እንተ ዝበጽሕ። እቲ ካልኣይ ክዓ፣ እዚ ኣብ ሰሌዳ ጸሊም እምኒ ብጽርበት አዅሱማዊ ሥነ-ጥበብ ተጻሒፉ፣ አብ አዅሱም(Axum University Campus and/or Axum City square) እንተዝትከል አሞ ንታሪኽ አንተ ዝበቅዕ ምተመነይኹ። በእንተ’ዚ እጽሊ፣ እምነ’ውን፣ ፈጻሚኡ ግና እግዚአብሔር እዩ።