Untainted World In the Eyes of a Child

Many houses, many people None like mine all so different Many mothers, many fathers All my neighbors and all so different Smiles and laughter, scowls and anger Many moods, all so different. Some had stools, others couches And I loved to sit and chat, or listen to them talk Many people, many tongues, Some spoken like a song, and not one word Not one; did I comprehend But I loved to sit and listen. Many mothers, many fathers And all the mothers shared a mystery They could talk the pot language Coax a fire to grow and burn Talk to the pans and to the pots And I, I got to sample different foods Mama Otis omena, mama Nechesa’s ugali Mursik from Langats home, Matoke from mama Omaris’ And mokimo from my mother’s kitchen. Many shades on our skin, Atieno’s as black as coal, me? Mine a lighter shade Kimanis’ light like a mzungu But on the swings we played and swung And when we fell our knees got scraped And the blood was the same all red So I figured we all were the same inside. We could play, eat at each others homes We taught each other how to say hello Hello in differenT sweet tongues Murembe at Nechesa’s home Ithi nade at Atieno’s home Achamigei at Kibets’ Dzalamkadze at Nzingo’s home Niatea at my home. I learned a lot as a child but the greatest lesson was We may be different outside but inside we are all the same It’s our choice to love or to hate If we embrace each other life will be easy Atieno, Kamau,Nechesa Kibet,Omarri, Nzingo All are gifts from the Lord.