For our Chibok sisters

It was 'good morning' the usual way
sounded just the same
full of energy
of life's promises
nothing could be guessed on that 14th day 2014.

You downed your cup of tea
your piece of yam
you kept some
knowing tomorrow was yet to come
you smiled your see-you-later smile.

Evening came
you did not return
a day passed, days
months
Today 14th April 2015 makes it a year.

The yam has grown moulds
like the waiting in our hearts and longing in our eyes
as we reach for a flicker of possibility
buried under the silence that surrounds your disappearance
we refuse the moulds to cover it...

Today we light a candle
not in memory my sisters - no
we light this candle to stand with you
we light this candle to keep the flicker brighter
we light this candle to evoke spirits of resilience and justice.

(My heart goes out to each single girl,
to each single parent of these girls and
their entire families.)

* Hilda Twongyeirwe is Executive Director, Uganda Women Writers Association - FEMRITE.