Goodbye, Tafara
Fate propelled me into your belly
When my own prayers went unanswered
In the wake of the harvest of thorns
When the alien- buffered by our silence
Shackled, manacled and butchered
Those of us that would not capitulate.
Yes, fate propelled me into your womb
And there I lay- prostrate
For a season and a half
A whole season and a half-
Unmolested, unmanacled, unshackled
By those who would rather I died.
I said fate propelled me, do you hear?
And your womb protected me
And let me germinate, grow and blossom;
Even though the alien scoffed and ranted
Yet the cord of our freedom
The umbilical cord- resisted.
That applause- that roar, that rapturous uproar
Of multitudes hitherto unknown
Pollinated the seed of my pride
As the first child of a free nation!
For the first time, I walked and marched
With my head high and my feet firm!
Oh, yes, I walked and marched
And lived as in second heaven!
Yet now I must leave in haste-
You cannot bid me ‘Farewell’
And I cannot bid you ‘Goodbye’.
Not because I love you any less!
Not because you love me any less!
But who can argue with a bulldozer?
Who can hold court with a gun?
If only the gun and the bulldozer
Were in the hands of the alien
We might have consulted an oracle
We might have raised our voices.
But the gun was in the hands of Tendai
The bulldozer was driven by Tatenda
And the order was given by Tawanda.
These are your children, Tafara
These are your own children
I cannot argue with your children.
So, I go back to where I came from
Even though I know not where
And re-kindle my unanswered prayer!
As I compose this belated farewell
I am on my way to nowhere
For I know, you, too, are on your way
To nowhere! Yes, I am on my way!
Goodbye, Tafara!
Copyright © Gerald Kithinji | Year Posted 2013
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