May God help
us
May God help us
so that the
reality we see
never fades in
our minds like fumes,
And mislead us
into wrong decisions,
May God help
us
to decipher
correct first impressions,
Which never
reflect falsely on people's manners,
May God wisen
up our minds
not to ignore
the signs so visible,
And persuade
ourselves that "it will all change for the better, anyway"
For the truth
is -
"IT IS
WHAT IT IS, a spade"
May God rescue
us in the moment
of being duped
A brother
gone too soon
(For Charles Kondowe)
In a world
where "Breaking News"
is the passing
of someone,
In a world
where death
laughs human
plans to scorn,
In a world
where trust
sojourned into
space
to an
undiscovered planet,
letting
suspicion to reign,
In a world
where, starved of joy, mourning has become our jubilation,
In a world
where friends we cherished
have been
diminished to mere names
At the crossroads
When the spirits get low
And you don't know
what's next.
When there's no glimmer of success
When all the speed is gone
When zeal, purpose and reason
Are nowhere, and there's no beacon
Of hope, no shed of light in the tunnel
And people around you like judges on a panel,
Utter their 'you-could-have' sentiments
Know, it's only an experience,
Not your weakness,
We in the wilderness
*Mwiza Kasila is a Malawian poet, English literature teacher and intellectual.
