soft grumbles

You were an unexpected
gift from the heavens
for so short a time.

Why did you come
during the shortest period of time,
when swine drank wine,
plagued the world with flu,
and everybody’s not fine;
a Christian brother deferred from work,
decided to knock on Peter’s door,
and classes were suspended;
clouds drained all its rain submerging
every corner of the streets
and our efforts were in vain.

Maybe it was so I can survive
the swelling and falling
of the river of life.

Pork roast or fish
soaked in batter and fried
never really mattered.
What I shall miss is the chatter
that goes with spoon,fork
and platter.

I thank the gods of fortune
that in this huge planet
I should have found you,
a wonderful dream
that lingered through hours
of awakened reality

rolly

It is I
whom the gods
tried to subdue
with cheap tricks for so long
they almost won.
They gagged my Mother,
locked her up in a cold chamber,
chained and badly beaten.

It is I
who inherited
the forked tongue
of my ancestors,
bore the scars
of a battered ego.
They turned me into the moon
when I could have been the sun
that rises from my mountains
and sets to the west at sea.

They changed my name to their saints,
forced me to adopt their religion
to suppress my thoughts, feelings
and desires. I am a chameleon
who can change my appearance
to what I think would be pleasing
not to myself but for others.

It is I
who continues
to suffer
pain brought about
by people who thought
they were better than I.
Taught me lessons I didn't need
for I could have figured them out
on my own. They were interested
in raping my Mother,
making slaves of my kins
and plundering my resources.

But the blood of warriors
runs through our veins
We drove them all away.

Now that they have long been gone,
who else can make
my mother proud?
Who else can free my spirit?
Who else can build this country
into what it should have been?
Nobody but I.

When I lived here, there were only a few houses,
trees lined the streets
and the moon was enough to light up the field.

I always felt like everything was new,
I never felt abandoned like a stray dog.

Once when we were playing tag
I accidentally kissed her,
brushed my lips on hers,
made her cry and run away.

The following afternoon, I waited for dusk
hoping we would play again,
but she never came and I was a broken toy,
like a solitary animal watching other children play.
rolly

I tried to send you three simple words
etched on a pebble cast out to sea
thinking it would find you
wherever you are. But it rushed
back with the waves
that foam the shore.

I went up the farthest valley,
shouted my message to the wind
hoping it would travel far and wide
but it echoed back to me.

I looked for migrant birds
taking refuge in the swamps,
whispered in their ears
the words I need to convey
knowing they will return
to this land of Spring where lovely black tulips,
African Lilies and dahlias abound.

There is nothing more I can do
but hope for you to find
my words written on every pebble
by the seashore,
hear my voice in the echoes
of the valley,
and listen to the birds sing
your name as I utter the same
with every prayer.


rolly

Labels: love poem