Homecoming

Across the village, the moon spreads for my homecoming,

It has been a thousand moons

The birds no longer tweet,

nor do the crickets chirp.

The hawks no longer swoop on the mouse,

Nor do the dogs chase the cats.

Here at home, nature has become a stranger,

The white men came, clogging

On wheels of salvation,

Teaching us their ways; while they,

like rats, blew our feet with air

to soothe our soles.

They buried our names beneath their feet;

They displaced our native tongue—

A tongue of yesteryears,

Now distant music to our ears.

Remember the palm oil lamps that brightened our evenings?

The tales that gave eyes to moonlight?

All gone!

The clansmen have lost their tongues.

They can only shake their heads,

Munch their teeth,

And grumble under their breath,

Civilization has taken it all.