These poems from my book FACING THE HARBOUR (itbm 2010). The book has been translated into Spanish, Russian, French and Japanese.
AT THE CENTRAL MARKET
(Where the unemployed wait)
I often
see him
see him
sitting on the benches of Central Market
watching
passers by
passers by
or
gazing into nowhere
gazing into nowhere
waiting
to be inspired
to be inspired
with a
few poetic lines.
few poetic lines.
Singing
his lyric
his lyric
he waits
on
on
will someone come today to rescue him
from
boredom
boredom
and
unemployment.
unemployment.
He waits on at Central Market
overlooking Dayabumi
he heard they are
building images
building images
is he suffering the reality?
But as he take refuge
on the cool mosaic
or soothe his forhead
by the fountain side
washing away the thought
of the nagging mother
the noisy squatter area
he says,
“Thank
you Central Market
you Central Market
thank
you Dayabumi
you Dayabumi
for making this wait less unbearable
without you
I could have turned into a rebel”.
AFTER WATCHING ALEX HALEY’S ROOTS
He still wanted to be Kunta Kinte
even after he was called Toby
again he was tortured
and pain was too high a price
for him to bear
and don’t we all have a price to pay.
in order to really be ourselves.
I cannot bear to face
the truth of your pen
the pain and horror of slavery
the vengeance in your writing
must art and it’s beauty
always be born out of loneliness
and misery?
