Onesmus M. Kasau
Mother

How good is it mama
To be thine happy son
And many your daughters for my sisters
Bring you to me sunshine, lovely sun.

Many we are, multihued we are
How beautiful are thine generations
Many sons and daughters
Numerous languages and cultures
You are a bright blessed mother.

But what happened to the happy days
Mother, when we all sat to share
What happened to brotherhood?
When we all spoke same language
And shared grazing fields and water?

Africa my mother, my heart bleeds
When I see some turning against each other
Forgetting you are our only mother
Cultural conflicts and clashes
Evictions of people and political turmoil
Where are they coming from?

Mother, my faith falters
When I wake up to cultural hatred
Unending bleeding and massacre
My mind is perturbed seriously
When brothers fight each other.

Corruption rocks my inner self
Crippling development causing disillusionment
White elephants all over
Oh! Africa my motherland
Arise and shine again
Arise and dream again.

Wake up sons and daughters
Fight for your mother
Unshackle her from jaws of poverty
Unending corruption and wrangles
Bleeding hearts and wounded souls.

Sons and daughters, pull together
Afford cannot we to be divided
Ignore negative ethnicity
Embrace diversity and variety
Build homeland, build your motherland
Build Africa, our great mother.

_ _

Onesmus Kasau is a teacher of English in Kenya, pursuing postgraduate studies in Educational Administration at the University of Nairobi. Married with two sons, he wishes to note that he is saved and loves the Lord as his saviour.

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