when this dew dries
and the grass withers
when the chirping of the morning bird stops
and the smoldering morning smoke clears
when the earth dries up and swallows life
and the singing children go quiet in exhaustion
i will remember
the soothing ache of loving
the transient perpetuity of hope
the huddling sullenness of loss
the hesitant urgency in time
the hypnotizing vanity in certainty
the dew is drying
the grass is withering
the chirping of the birds is fading
the smoke clearing
earth is drying taking with it life in urgent gulps
the children stop singing
they snooze off in exhaustion from labor they knew nothing about
i now remember
NDUKO O'MATIGERE 