Morning In Bukoba

We awakened to rhythms of beating drums Shouting cadences through a low rising river fog Young men talking to friends in distant villages On the only telephones they have. We marveled at their ingenuity, their creativity The strange language only they could understand While we ate our mound of breakfast plantains And missed our cellphones. The bush comes alive; the heavy humidity hovers Thick with the acrid smells of open cooking fires Young women are heading for the open fields While the older villagers gather to make deals. They know nothing of super mini malls Nor the clanging bell of the stock market Every day is a search for their daily needs And still, they are the world’s happiest people. BRONZE WINNER under the name "A Suburb of Nairobi" "100 Poem Celebration" Poetry Contest September 2, 2021