Jo, Mike And Shino Poem by John Sensele

Grandpa Shino, Jo and Mike full of joy,
Frolicked in Lizzy's in sitting room and watched kid
Cartoons on Gotv, played Jean Rummy until a friend
Of Lizzy's timidly knocked at her front door and interrupted their play
Which Jo was winning when Mike scattered playing cards under the pretence
Jo played rough when he hid an ace until it turned grey.

Because of the one-thousand kilometre bus trek from Kitwe to Senanga, grandpa had grown a few more grey
Hairs. However, buoyed by the lack of pretence
He anticipated from Mike and Jo who would treat him like a kid
To whom they'd grant unreserved permission to play
With them and by them because in grandpa Shino they saw a trusted friend.
Apart from God who's a friend to all, grandpa Shino was a bosom friend
To both Jo and Mike, a friend whose grey
Hair carried a plethora of wisdom, but they could also play
With grandpa Shino from whom they were sure to extract maximum joy.

After all, wasn't grandpa Shino like them a kid?
Moreover, he was a sage from whom they expected neither offence, indifference nor pretence.
Mike and Jo saw the adults' world as a cocoon of pretence
Where adults differed, quarrelled and said rotten words behind the back of a friend
Who was absent and whom gossipers treated like a bad-tempered kid
Who deserved harsh treatment whether he had little or much grey
Hair and who in their view deserved as little joy
As possible given that he disliked with other elders to play.

Mike grabbed Shino's mobile phone while Shino and Jo chose to play
Scrabble on the kitchen table while pretence
Scrammed like a wet chicken to wreak havoc. Mirth bonds brimming with joy
Greeted Shino and Jo while bonds berated Mike's friend
Who dropped Shino's phone on the floor where its grey
Face tore to pieces. Shino shook his head and wiped away tears on the face of the inconsolable kid.

Mike, Jo and Shino sauntered to a nearby shop corridor and gave a plate of hot rice to a street kid
Who slept rough on a bare floor where street kids would play
Rough, talk rough, behave rough and push rough as skies turned grey.
Heads shook in disapproval as the play
Street kids staged left no pretence
Whatever about their intention to kill and steal joy
Felt by the smallest and weakest of their friend
Who threw himself at Shino and began to tug at his grey
Grey trousers when on him landed a slap from another street kid.
Horrified by the turn of events, the strongest street kid
Lunged forward and told kids to stop the play.

He mopped and dusted Shino's grey
Hair and with no further pretence
Said, 'Grandpa Shino, we hereby grant you the status of trusted friend
Because elders like you are a source of boundless joy.'
Delighted like a kid, Shino cast aside any pretence,
Combed his grey hair and asked actors to resume the play
Under his direction as director and friend to share abundant joy.