Friday, August 10, 2007

Happiness

Happiness

I asked my learned friends
To teach me
what happiness is
I went to top executives
To teach me
the meaning of life

I met leading fairies
gifted fortune tellers
To give life back to my carcass
And lightness
To the wings of my mind.
But they all shook their heads
and smiled.

Ah, They smiled!
They who hold the keys
to knowledge and to happiness
They smiled!
Then one Sunday
I wandered
along River Yala
And saw a crowd
of black people,
my people.
With their women,
my mamas.
Their children,
my brothers
and sisters.
And a mtungi of busaa,
My beer.
And a nyatiti.
And I knew.

I sipped. And threw away
the bottle of whisky. Released
my arms from the hips
of the long-nosed girl
And danced
to the Nyatiti
And I knew
Aah! I knew.

otienoamisi.

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