April 2021
Bio Note: I am a retired physics teacher who has written poems ever since High School.
I have taught in Kenya with the Peace Corps, South Bend, Indiana, and Oklahoma City. Recently I have
published an historical fiction novel, A Thief in the African Night: The Conflict of Change
available on Amazon. It includes a few of my poems.
Editor's Note: The non-English parts of this poem are written in Kiswahili. Translation/glossary is provided by the author, but I found that even without that, just reading the poem aloud was a musical delight.
Editor's Note: The non-English parts of this poem are written in Kiswahili. Translation/glossary is provided by the author, but I found that even without that, just reading the poem aloud was a musical delight.
A Lamuv Visitation or Mama Na Omari
The streets were dark,
The way confusing.
The house of coral,
The door was closed.
We knocked.
The light was dim,
The candles flickered
On Omari.
“Jambo, Mama!”
“Omari ni mgonjwa,
Omari, lala.
Mimi ni ogopa.
Omba Allah!
Bwana! Bwana!
Pray for sick Omari!”
“Wapi daktari?
“Sitaki! Sitaki!
“Kwaherini.”
The day was bright.
The weather torrid.
Perspiration wet the skin,
Fell into the alleys.
On the way the sunlight
Seemed to vanish.
The coral glistening,
The door was open.
The candles flickered.
Her dress was black.
Her veil, her face concealed.
Omari, missing!
“Jambo, Mama.”
“Jambo, jambo.”
“Kufa! Kufa!
Kufa, Omari!”
“Mama, Mama!
So infected
Mguu Omari.
Hakuna daktari!
Pole, Pole!
Pole, Omari!
Pole, Mama!”
The night was black.
The alleys misleading.
To my room,
Sleep was absent,
As I thought of Omari,
Young, dead Omari!
TRANSLATIONS:
Jambo- a greeting
mgonjwa - ill
lala – sleeping
lala – sleeping
ogopa - fear
omba – pray
sitaki – I d0 not want
Kwaherini – goodbye to all
Wapi daktari – where is the doctor
kufa – died
mguu – leg
Hakuna daktari – there was no doctor
Pole - gently, sorry
©2021 Joseph Miano
Editor's Note: If this poem(s) moves you please consider writing to the
author (email address above) to tell her or him. You might say what it is about the poem that moves you. Writing to the author is what builds the community at Verse Virtual.
It is very important. -JL