Mali my ancient home (poetry and photographs)

Mali! Dust off your koras
And let your ancient songs rise.
Turn your palms, leathered from
Farming and toil into cymbals of joy.
Mali my ancient home
Mali! Clear your throat with milk
From your many fattened cows
And let your songs rise again;
Till drumming and dancing fill our huts.
Mali my ancient home
Mali, your ancient kings won’t return.
Your scattered children won’t converge
Until fresh lullaby sneaks out of your tight lips
And resurrects their sleeping spirits.
Mali my ancient home
She who runs today, once slept and dreamt.
Mali, your breath assures me you live but sleep.
Wake up Mali. Let your ancient blood boil
Till the greatness we see in our dreams come true.
Mali my ancient home
Mali. Rise. Mali. Sing. Mali. Mama. Mali.

Comments

Felix said…
Nice pictures. Great Photoshop skills as well. Keep them coming!
Felix, thanks for your kind words. I know this will surprise you but these photos were not edited in Photoshop. Enjoy your weekend :)
@HotShotCreative. I miss you very much my brother. Just because of you, I will come back to facebook soon so we can stay in touch. How is Pat and the handsome prince? I'm sure he's not so little any more. How is our new agency doing? I don't even feel this blog is the right place to catch up on. I will find a better way soon.

Just know, you're very much in my prayers and on my mind.
Juanita said…
I love the poem and how striking the pictures seem. Every shade and hue so vibrant. They're beautiful but I like the donkey best :D
@ Juanita, since you like the donkey, I will tell you a funny story that happened whilst on assignment in Mali for the Novartis Foundation. After seeing so many donkeys doing all the hard work, I told Sabina my client, "It's not easy being a donkey, y'know?" and she quickly retorted back "Are you speaking from experience?"... Now that got both of us laughing.
Edward Echwalu said…
I wonder whether the Charcoal truck reached its destination safe..it so looks likes one that is giving up at the next climb..I like the river/lake/swamp pic...
Hi Edward, thanks for your kind words. I checked out your website the last time. I enjoyed it. Keep up the good work in Uganda and keep making Africa proud.
Anonymous said…
@Nana Kofi, such good memories when looking at the pictures!! Hahaha I had to laugh out loud reading the donkey story :-))) Here it's really freezing now (below zero), the city is covered in a white blanket. I'm sure though you would be able to take some colorful pictures nevertheless. Talk to you soon! Sabina
Diana Brida Ssemanda said…
Hahahahaha- donkey story. Great sense of humor there. I am so going to visit this blog often.

It is nyc. The combination of poetry n pics is super.

Popular Posts