A POEM BY

Caroline Nderitu
 

Listen,
Do you hear that?
That is the sound of a bee
A busy buzzing bee

Listen
Do you hear that?
That is the sound of safari ants
Safari ants at work
Something safari ants are always at
Work

And it brings me to ask
You and you and you
What do you think of yourself
When you think of yourself
If you do think of yourself

Do you think of yourself as a star in the sky
with your portion of night
that you ought to keep bright
Or do you think of yourself as a dark cloud
That is tossed about by any wind
Every wind
And stops the star from shining

What do you think of yourself
When you think of yourself
Because I know you do think of yourself

Do you think of yourself as a giraffe
Tall graceful and majestic
With your visions set on high
High visions
Or do you think of yourself as the sand
The beach cover
For everyone who has feet to tread on

What do you think of yourself
When you think of yourself
Because I know you do think of yourself

Do you think of yourself as a lion
Strong, courageous
always ready to hunt and win
Or do you think of yourself as a hyena,
The others do the catching and all you do is the eating

What do you think of yourself
When you think of yourself
Because I know you do think of yourself

Do you think of yourself as a good car engine
Always ready to start and never going flat
Or do you think of yourself as a rainbow
Out colorful, beautiful
But only lasting for a season

The dark cloud was made to be just that-
A dark cloud
The sand to be trodden upon
The hyena was made to do --- just the eating
and the rainbow to last just for a season

BUT not you! not you!
You were made to be a star
With your portion of night to keep bright
Sshhh shhhh ssshhhh
Listen
Do you hear that?
That is the voice of change
So get BUSY!


   

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