Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Africa what’s your story,

Where is your king,

Where is your glory,

A land so rich yet torn,

So filled with laughter and scorn,

Watoto wanavimbwa na hasira,

Upo enzini, huku kimya,

Teleza, teleza,

Jirani anauliwa,

We stand and heave a sigh.


I'm a witness,we're grinning,

The world is spinning, ooooh , we’re winning!

With no surprise , we shield our eyes,

No peeks...black dye...

My guilt, it will suffice.

The veil is cast, a reminder of our past,

I thrust shame under a blanket of dust,

Only burning coal, those millions of souls,

Covered now them with hope we stole,

Dreams we buried, lies foretold.

I must! I must! says my cynical child,

Stand and heave my sigh.


Africa what’s your story,

Where is your king,

Where is your glory,

Who will remove the stain,

These narcotics, what shots of pain,

You raise your fist seeking revolution,

But what of your heart ,

When does it beat with resolution

Teleza, teleza,

Matatizo huongezeka.

Why stand and heave a sigh.


4 comments:

Mwangi said...

I could hear a mwomboko beat in the background as I read this. Maybe we are the next kings and queens, maybe we are the ones we have been waiting for.

mama shady said...

mwomboko beat;)to use a cliche, yeah, we are the change we want to see.I wrote this about a year ago, I'm not sure what I was thinking of at the time...I'm sure change had something to do with it, but also random things... like comments about us being a failed continent. I think i was/am also thinking about what I should do, I might have been a bit annoyed as well...

Unknown said...

I like. Actually read it out loud :-)

Njoki Ngumi said...

Mama Shady you have a sense of rhythm that is intoxicating. This poem is music.