HOPE ALONG THE ODAW
Between June and July 2009
I walked a distance to work almost every morning
From ring road central to south industrial area,
Where I work as an intern with a bunch of engineers
Walking this lane, a very ugly man waves always at me and says good morning.
I walk through a lorry station where filth and noise are the defending champions
I use a bridge across the river Odaw,
with stench so bad that a rat will find it hard to survive in its vicinity
I cross a rail line where drugs, alcohol and sex abound
and all kinds of crime are harboured , planned and executed
The ugly man’s wave seemed to me like a wave of triumph,
Triumph over a better life.
The triumph of poverty, For this ugly man is POVERTY.
I’ve looked helplessly at life on these streets every morn
Where kids don’t go to school and parents don’t go to work.
I’ve looked on and thought that there was no hope for these folk,
and bowed my head in shame.
But after the first week of August 2009 at IMANI,
I believe in hope for these folk.
I believe their hope is me and I am their hope.
If only I will stop thinking about the problems and work on the solutions.
Kobby Azu 2009©
Email: kobbyazu[at]yahoo.com
