Suncolor's Blog

Following the armed seizure of power
in the Mountain Capital
unspeakable things occurred
the networks and the dalies
had a field day

They competed for headlines
and fought for breaking news
and hurled them with abandon
hell blew open
death and destruction spread
like bush fire

An orgy
the networks said
age old tribal animosities
bound to boil over
once White control was lifted
the networks said

Excited and excitable
like a virgin on her nuptial night
naive and totally a novice
the General reveled in the media blitz
when newsmen and women called him
Strongman and Big Daddy
the General was ecstatic

He took to their words
he loved the sound of his name
on white lips
he wished his mother alived again

Who knows Nyerere?
Al Bashir
de Clerk
General Gowan
who knows them?
who is Olusegun Obasanjo?

See me Lakayana with my Spear
my name and face are everywhere
the strong man boasted
and in this he spoke the truth
for that very week Newsweek
and Time Magazine
had him on the cover
and there his moon face beamed
truly a face to charm babe in arms

From the capital of the modern world
came that icon of science and adventure
the National Geographic arrived in a flurry
camera blazing
and gave the new regime
the blessings of the world
even as blood flowed

Reform minded
the erudite editors wrote
and splashed colorful pictorials
of naked tribesmen leaden with gear
across glossy pages of their prized magazine

Now from the old Empire hurried
a baroness of the old lines
pure of blood
honored state guest
she fell in love with the manhood
of the Black Giant

Her royal highness
was a woman of great passions
and great learning
she penned down a portrait
of the great leader:
the people’s General
she wrote
the Napoleon of the Modern World
heroic figure of great proportions

International adulation brought results
beside himself with pride and conceit
the General went on air
with his own fresh mint doctrines
that he called for good measure
the great lakes doctrine

Now there were rumours
making the rounds in the Mountain Capital
that the irrepressible and world renowned
Professor of Modern African Studies
at the Great Lakes University
had a hand in it
now when the final product went on air
suspicion solidified into beliefs

For sure the evening’s broadcast
was in the General’s own coarse and uneducated voice
what else?
but the broadcast bore the unmistakable stamp
of the professor’s famous and flamboyant
bombast

We will divert
the mighty waters of the Nile
and let it flow into the Indian Ocean
we will blow up Mount Kilimanjaro
the rubblle from the mount
we will fill the valleys of the Rift

The next morning the headlines
across the great metropolitan papers
went heywire
the great powers could not belive
what they heard

Good heavens! Is the fellow insane?
what is the matter with him?
they fumed and rebuked the General
but their action contradicted
every word they spoke
when the General would have run out
they kept him supplied
even as blood flowed

Whisky and electronics
to keep the boys satisfied
tanks and automatic weaponens
to keep the people in check
technicians and advisors
to keep the system oiled
the system!

John Otim
copyright 2012

Following the armed seizure of power
in the Mountain Capital
unspeakable things occurred
and the networks and the dalies
had a field day

They competed for headlines
and breaking news
and hurled them with abandon
hell blew open
death and destruction spread
like wildfire

An orgy
the networks said
age old tribal animosities
bound to boil over
once White control was lifted
the networks said

Excited and excitable like a virgin
on her nuptial night
naive and totally a novice
the General reveled in the media blitz
when newsmen and women called him
Strongman and Big Daddy
the General was ecstatic

He took to their words
he loved the sound of his name
on white lips
he wished that his mother were alive

Who knows Nyerere?
Al Bashir
de Clerk
General Gowan
who knows them?
who is Olusegun Obasanjo?

See me Lakayana with my Spear
my name and face are everywhere
the strong man boasted
and in this he spoke the truth
for that week Newsweek
and Time Magazine
had him on the cover
and his moon face beamed
truly a face to charm babe in arms

From the capital of the modern world
arrived the icon of science and adventure
for National Geographic came down
and gave the new regime
the blessings of the world
even as the blood still flowed

Reform minded
the erudite editors wrote
and splashed colorful pictorials
of naked tribesmen leaden with gear
across glossy pages of their prized magazine

Now from the old Empire hurried
a baroness of the old lines
pure of blood
honored state guest
she fell in love with the manhood
of the Black Giant

For her royal highness
was a woman of great passions
and great learning
she penned down a portrait
of the great leader:
the people’s General
she wrote
the Napoleon of the Modern World
heroic figure of great proportions

International adulation soon brought results
biside himself with pride and prejudice
the General went on air
with fresh mint doctrine
that he called for good measure
the great lakes doctrine

Now there were rumours that
the irrepressible Professor of Modern African Studies
at the Great Lakes University
had a hand in it
and when the final product went on air
suspicion solidified into beliefs

For the evening’s broadcasts
though in the General’s own coarse and uneducated voice
bore the unmistakable stamp
of the professor’s flamboyance and bombast

We will divert
the mighty waters of the Nile
and let it flow into the Indian Ocean
we will blow up Mount Kilimanjaro
the rubblle from the mount
we will fill the valleys of the Rift

The next morning the headlines
across the great metropolitan papers
went heywire
the great powers could not belive
what they heard an what they read

Good heavens! Is the fellow insane?
what is the matter with him?
they fumed and rebuked the General
but their action contradicted
everyword they spoke
when the General would have run out
the kept him supplied
even as blood flowed

Whisky and electronics
to keep the boys satisfied
tanks and automatic weaponens
to keep the people in check
technicians and advisors
to keep the system oiled
the system
even as blood flowed

John Otim
copyright 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

to keep the system oiled

the system!

 

John Otim

(Copyright March 2012)