On a horizontal bough I sat

Frogs and crickets sang sweetly

As from my serene village I watched the moon

It was smiling down at me too

 

Then my mind raced backwards

It raced backwards through time

A time very far from now –

It took me to the time of young Africa

 

I saw Africa in her birthday suit

I saw her before she lost her shape and splendor

She was a beautiful sight to behold

She was elegant, lovely, charming, warm and happy

 

I saw her when her goats belonged to no one

When her diamonds and gold were mere gems

Before the thunderous Zambezi had its name changed

Gigantic Irokos held her firmly

 

I saw the bare torsos of her children

And among them were many virgins

Men regaled stories of her heroic deeds

Around huge pots of Africanly brewed beer

 

On a horizontal bough I sat

Frogs and crickets sang sweetly

As from my serene village I watched the moon

It was smiling down at me too

 

Then my mind raced backwards;

It raced backwards through time

A time very far from now –

It took me to the time of young Africa

 

I saw Africa in her birthday suit

I saw her before she lost her shape and splendor;

She was a beautiful sight to behold

She was elegant, lovely, charming, warm and happy

 

I saw her when her goats belonged to no one

When her diamonds and gold were mere gems

Before the thunderous Zambezi had its name changed

Gigantic Irokos held her firmly

 

I saw the bare torsos of her children

And among them were many virgins

Men regaled stories of her heroic deeds

Around huge pots of Africanly brewed beer

 

Africa then was so clean, so pure

As pure as the crystal streams flowing in her

Her heroes lived as long as the moon

Songs of her prowess were sung

They were sung in every full moon

 

I pleaded with my mind;

I asked to spend forever watching virgin Africa

It declined and brought me closer

It brought me closer to my time

 

I didn’t like what I saw afterwards

The scenario haunted me ever since

With tears in my eyes I watched Africa again

As she opened her arms to embrace strangers

What was she thinking when she did that?

 

Then I wept bitterly when I saw her crying

As she was gang-raped and molested

Plundered and dumped like garbage

Africa was drugged, she became insane

 

I saw the moment her conscience was stripped off

When they tore her pride into shreds

When she was oddly decorated for fashion

Africa! Why did you do this to yourself?

 

Then came the light bulb

It banished moonlight from parts of Africa

It brightened the path of rogues and traitors

It showed us that we are in a maze

 

My mind saw how sore my eyes had turned

Then it brought me back

Back to my serene village

The village that awaits dirty black Africa

To come and swallow her

by Bizum Yadok

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Africa Under the Moon by Bizum Yadok