Friday, January 16, 2004
Quite a few poems were stimulated by the trip to Kenya and Tanzania.
Here are some of them:
Going Native
hands burnt brown by African sun
burnished with sunblock
beads clacking musically
about my braided head
any more time in this land
and my blood will run
thick and rich
as coffee
Nakuru, Kenya 8/12/03
It was great meeting the Maasai - tall, lithe and very good looking. We got to dance with the women (a characteristic jumping dance) while wearing their bead jewellery - a bit touristy, but lots of fun!
Maasai journey
trees cling to hillsides
defending succulence with spears
mud huts squat in the dirt
haircuts ragged straw
children chase
our grunting duststorm on wheels
waving excited limbs
their voices dancing on the wind
tall figures stride
beacons for their cattle
slender ebony frames
draped regally in red tartan
they are guardians of this proud land:
upright in tradition
honoured to wear the red dust
anointing the hills
their women crowned
with white beads
rainbow collars radiate
like the long hot sun
to dance with them
is to jump for joy.
15/12/03, 22/12/03 Engaruka, Tanzania
I seem to like writing Moon poems.
African Moon
It is night
and my old friend the moon
is cloaked in her plume of ostrich feathers
henna on her face
for in Africa
she knows many secrets.
From her perch
she sprinkles light on my path
winking as if to say
¡§ It is the same earth,
the same rain ¡¨
A few tears fall.
a hyena sings into dark
as my thoughts rise sad and sweet
the earth breathes in her sleep
beneath a blanket of wet leaves.
8/12/03 Masai Mara, Kenya
I spent a few days by myself in Monbasa, on the coast.
Mombasa
air hung heavy
flutters in sea breeze
edges stained with diesel
a fortress totters
among coral:
ancient Christian sentinel
in a forest of mosques
above the palms
turrets dream
voices sing to Allah
striking the hour
men run with hunger in their eyes.
hello! konichwa!
they bark from kerbs
milking tourist flocks
for dollars
even the taxis have teeth
a dhow offers escape
slaves to Arab mystique
we search
for a perfect coral reef
Mombasa, Kenya 4/12/03
and finally, a fun piece; my first "rap"!
Matatu song (to rap beat)
*Capitalled syllables are meant for emphasis
*an appropriate accent, and audience participation, is encouraged.
YO! I¡¦m your MAN, if you REally want to GO
Be it FAR, be it CLOSE, to the TOWN or to the COAST
I¡¦ll be THERE, with my WHEELS
I can DO you ANy DEal
Just NAME your DESTinAtion
And I¡¦ll GIVE you MY SPI-el
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
GIMme your SHIllings and I¡¦ll TAKE YOU THERE
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
HOLD ON TIGHT for I HAVE NO FEAR.
YEAH! It¡¦s so COOL, the PAINT is barely DRY
The MIRrors really SPARkle and they SHINE SO BRIGHT
This GIRL is such a LEgend
And she¡¦ll DRIVE SO FAST
That you¡¦ll BArely smell the DIEsel as she ZOOMS RIGHT PAST
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
GIMme your SHIllings and I¡¦ll TAKE YOU THERE
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
HOLD ON TIGHT for I HAVE NO FEAR.
SO! sign right UP, you can TAKE A SEAT
She can Always fit one MORE, it¡¦s REally not a FEAT
If your BUM HANGS OUT and your LEGS flap in the BREEZE
It¡¦s HaKUna MaTAta, I¡¦ve alREady got your FEE.
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
GIMme your SHIllings and I¡¦ll TAKE YOU THERE
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
HOLD ON TIGHT for I HAVE NO FEAR.
YEAH! As we HOON with my ELbow up your NOSE
The DOOR is HANGing OPen so the COOL WIND BLOWS
WE won¡¦t STOP for MAN or BEAST, CROSSing THE ROAD
Our HORNS will SOUND the DEATH KNELL for those HAP-LESS SOULS.
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
GIMme your SHIllings and I¡¦ll TAKE YOU THERE
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
HOLD ON TIGHT for I HAVE NO FEAR.
Don¡¦s WORry if you SENse that-
The TIRes are GONna BLOW
We¡¦re REally burning RUBber, it¡¦s the ONly way to GO
As you FINish the JOURney a QUIveRING MESS
Just THANK the Lord you¡¦re LIVing, you are TRU-LY BLESSED!
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
GIMme your SHIllings and I¡¦ll TAKE YOU THERE
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
I¡¦m a MA TA TU
HOLD ON TIGHT for I HAVE NO FEAR.
„h Matatu: (Dalla-dalla in Tanzania) ¡V Kenyan minibus, usually crapped-out secondhand Jap import, driven by crazed boy racers around the city streets. Their aim is to fit as many people as possible into one vehicle and then get to the destination as fast as possible. To make it more exciting, the vehicles are painted with racing stripes, cool slogans and conspicuous lights/mirrors, may not have a functional door, and sometimes have rabidly loud sound systems, thus also functioning as lurching mobile discos. If it¡¦s got a seatbelt, it¡¦s definitely not a matatu. (it is also unlikely to be Africa).
„h Hakuna Matata ¡V ¡§no worries¡¨ in Swahili
„h Shillings: unit of currency in East Africa. A ride in a matatu within a city costs approx 15 shillings (30 cents), about 1/20th the price of a taxi.
email me: piokiwi@yahoo.com.au
Piokiwi 7:49 am
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