Coconuts,
My eyes saw coconut trees
on different beaches
at the boundaries
of lake Tanganyika
in Burundi, Zambia,
D.R.Congo and Tanzania.
many people always enjoying
to be under those trees while drinking
coconut natural juices.
Homemade
How happy we were while
eating homemade foods
in some Congolese and
Nigerian restaurants
in different places
of Pretoria.
some longtime friends
enjoyed different fried fish
(from lake Tanganyika) ,
nice salade with cassava pap.
It was an excellent hospitality
which I experienced on those days
with them in different places
around and out of town where
we could find homemade foods ,
cultural garments and other stuffs
preferable by all bantus.
I think those healthy foods
increased some calories
in my body as my heart was super exited
while sharing with some home friends
In a foreign country.
Lake Tanganyika is
Very large
And deep
With many spaces
of fish and animals.
One of the sources
Of finance of Bajoba
( Bavira, Babwari Babemba,
Bamasanzi, Baswima
...etc.)
As they are majority cultivators
And fishers.
Tanganyika is the first lake
with more spaces
of fish in the World,
Second biggest lake in Africa
And
Second deepest lake in the World.
Name Tanganyika is from Kijoba
( Kitanga kye nyika)
Which means the residence
Of electric fish
Which is called
" Nyika"
Many Bajoba were warning
Swimmers about the dangerous
Electric fish in the lake.
June 10th 2023
By Alfonso Warally Ngengethe
Mussabwa Chris
Note:
Bajoba: fishers
Most tribes living the boundaries of lake Tanganyika in Tanzania, Burundi, DRCongo and Zambia.
Their language is called Kijoba
When you go to Bavira,
They call it" kivira "
Babwari call it "kibwari, "
Babemba call it " kibemba "
but all are Bajoba
Bantu with same
Tradition and culture.
Uvira my birthplace
A small town of Democratic
Republic
of the Congo
Which is at the boundaries
of the lake Tanganyika
In Southern Kivu province.
A place
Where many rebellions
started because
of many borders
with other countries.
Uvira my birthplace,
I see many rivers
And long chains of mountains
called Mitumba.
I see the second Congolese
Seaport interm of income which
connect DRCongo with
Burundi , Tanzania
And Zambia.
Uvira my birthplace,
The birthplace of many Bavira
Bashi ,Bafuliru,
Babembe Banyindu,
And Barega people.
A beautiful place
With multi - cultural and
linguistic people
Who relay on businesses,
Agriculture,
Small farming
And fishing.
Oh! Nice view ,
Weather , fauna
And flora.
I always dream about
This small town,
My beautiful Birthplace,
I love so much Uvira.
May 25/2023
Written for poetry contest sponsored by
Anoucheka Gangabissoon
Africa's greatness
We got the power ,power is the tower
We power tower the mirror ,
The mirror that reflects our greatness,
The greatness that is folded in the unfolded life folder.
We shall unfold it through the power of togetherness ,spread through equalization that speaks fears .
Figurative we stand our point is clear
Moving on without fear,
Our minds have gone dipper like lake tanganyika .
Hold it, spread it ,and paint it ,to improve its texture ,
Look back observe your truck ,forward and anticipate reward, Look sideways like crossing ways.
Stand our position ,maintain your attention ,feel the tension and completion
Speed your reaction to win your potion.
- [x] By Lincoln
BY the shores of Lake Tanganyika,
I had a moment of my life,
I knew such a moment existed,
But only in my imagination.
By the shores of Lake Tanganyika,
I watched it sink in the far west,
Inch by inch, second by second,
I watched it.
By the shores of Lake Tanganyika,
I watched its golden rays paint the western skies,
I watched them spill on the waters of Tanganyika,
And splash over the shores of the lake.
By the shores of Lake Tanganyika,
I had a moment of my life,
A calm serene moment,
I had a moment of nature.
By the shores of Lake Tanganyika,
I watched it descend in the west,
With its golden rays clinging to the sky,
As dusk descended on earth.
By the shores of Lake Tanganyika,
The birds on the cliff lay still, and waters calm,
The boats in the waters lay still, with no waves tossing over,
They all lay still for in that moment of nature.
By the shores of Lake Tanganyika,
I had a moment of my life,
I hope I live to have it again,
To watch such display of nature, again.
I love Africa, my beautiful Africa
I can roam in the bushes
I can run up the mountains
Down the valleys
Across the plains
Or get lost in the forests
Or the caves
I can soak the sun
On the sand at the beach
Or bake in the desert sun
Until I should find an oasis
I can stand on the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro
And if that is too tall
I can try the difficult Mt. Kenya
And touch the floating cloud
I can swim in the ocean or in the lake
Or in the dam or pond or paddle
I can also swim in the Nile or the Congo
Or the Niger or the Zambezi or the Limpopo
Or a thousand other rivers
I can catch kamongo in Lake Victoria
Or the bream on Lake Tanganyika or Malawi
Or bait the tiger fish in Kariba or Cahora Bassa
I can mine diamonds in Congo or Chiadzwa
Dig for gold in Ghana or Tanzania
Or just pick gems and cowry shells wherever I roam
From Cape to Cairo and from Timbuktu to Mombasa
Or just in my dreams.
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.