DREAMS OF A RIVER

Picture Courtesy www.m.modernghana.com


I am witness
To the savagery
And uncouth ways of man.


He brushes after every meal,
Washes down twice each day
With soap,
Squeaky clean,
He walks through life
On streets with shoulder pads
Made of concrete,
Gracefully entombing
All manner of filth,
Preaching out loud,
KEEP THE CITY CLEAN!!!!!!!


I am witness
To the hypocrisy and
Selfish nature of man.


He does as suits him,
Thinking of only today,
Looking for a quick buck to make,
Blind as a bat,
Yet he floats about on the wings
Of knowledge he has acquired,
Knowledge which sits idle in his thick skull
Collecting dust while clad in cobwebs
And bird droppings.


I am witness to the waywardness of man,
For I live with men,
Over the years,
He has shoved all manner of
Garbage down my throat
For I’m good at hiding things,
But today,
I lie desolate
Overwhelmed and overworked,
Abused to such an extent that
I have become a lethargic mass of
Putrid waste.


Be my witnesses today,
For I’m now arthritic
Cancerous and terminal,
Fading away before my time,
My demise glossed over,
No longer shocking,
Today,
Tomorrow remains the dream of a river.


If you happen see tomorrow,
Please,
Tell him about me,
Please tell tomorrow of the real Odaw river,
Not of the sorry mess I am today,
So sorry,
You walk past me hurriedly everyday
With your noses pinched
As though suppressing an urge to sneeze,
Please,
I implore you,
Tell tomorrow about me.