For 30 years and then some

For 30 years and then some
We watched as a nation crumbled
We began to forget, to lose hope
That a tyrant could be humbled

He ruled with an iron fist
Gripped with fear we became paralyzed
With entertainment and sports
They kept us mesmerized
It would get better soon they said
As they ignored the people’s cries

Day after miserable day
We waited patiently
Things will turn around, they said
You just wait and see

But once the hole was dug
They just kept digging more
Until the filth was everywhere
Raw and exposed like an open sore

And then one day we heard it
The thud was loud and clear
It was the sound of rock bottom
Loud enough for all to hear
But with that noise came another
The sound of conquering our fears

It started with a march,
but in fact it was so much more
A square became a symbol
Of freedom, of justice of hope
With oppression we were at war

The world was watching Egypt
They did not march alone
Across the world we gathered
To support this remarkable show

And then one day, it happened
The announcement was short and sweet
You could feel the exhilaration in your bones
Celebrations broke out in the streets
Egypt was respectable once again
And the world rose to its feet
As I watched the news that day
My heart spinning with delight
I thought of all the work ahead
Of this massive, looming plight
And in that very instant
I felt torn in two
Elated and anxious all at once
This victory was overdue

Now one year later,
Here we stand
Remembering this remarkable transformation
In a few short weeks Egypt rose
From the clutches of tyranny
To the working hands of the nation

But our work is far from over
In fact it’s just begun
Over 30 years of corruption
Will take time to be undone

There are some that still linger
Cooking corruption in their big old pots
For there are those who stand to gain
By scheming up treacherous plots

The question is will we be patient
With the deliberate process of change
Or will we lose hope turning on each other
Because matters are not arranged

It was unity that made us who we were
One year ago in Tahrir
It was unity that made us strong
That helped us overcome our fear

So let us stand united
Let us stay our course
Hand in hand, with all our efforts
We’ll direct this vital force

We owe it to the fallen
To their family and friends
To take the baton and run with it
Until the very end

- Sumaiya Beshir