Dodoma
When eight years old we went to Africa
we spent a couple of weeks in Dar-es salaam
then we moved to Dodoma for two years
It was a magical place for me and my sister
we were right on the edge of this small town.
There were leopards living under two miles away
nightly our bins were raided by these big cats.
We did not often go out after dark for fear of them
in daylight it was a different story we roamed freely.
Our parents sometimes took us to the local dam
where when low it was a small cracked mud pool.
underneath the cracks were hibernating fish
along with frogs and lots of wringing things.
Our dog Kim used to visit the neighbour
carrying back totally unhurt chicks and ducklings
she just wanted to show them to us
the neighbours used to panic at first.
Until they realised big as she was she meant no harm
they would sit in her mouth cheeping quite happily
It was the best place to grow up and we were sad
to leave it but Dad got promoted back to Dar
which was the capitol in the early fifty's
we lived in Oyster bay very near the ocean
Most days we played in the beautiful Bay
at low tide we searched the reefs
finding all matters of things like squid
I often wish I could turn back time to then
Copyright © Shadow Hamilton | Year Posted 2023
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