I remember clearly
It certainly seems like only yesterday
Actually, it was ages ago!
I was only seven
What did I know, then?
Just what to eat, play and sleep
The village was my life
I'd never been to the outside world
Needless to say I was content
And then she came:
They said that she was once one of us
But had now found a place in the city
The decision had been made by the elders
She held my little hand
We left, I, in tears
She gave me good food,
Put me in school:
Aye, she changed my life
I am now successful
I must celebrate my success
I must hold another little hand
As I stroll down the footpath to the village
I pass my mates by
Some with firewood on their heads!
I can't help but wonder at my life
I could have been one of them
But look where I am now
I encounter a young girl
She had that look in her eyes
She reminded me of me
At that point, I decided
Hers would be the little hand I'd be holding
On my way back
Again, at the meeting, it was agreed
I left with the girl; she, in tears
Me, feeling a bit like déjà vu
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem