The introduction....a poem by Richard Ntiru comes to mind when I think about what I am going through at the moment....
The Introduction
Perhaps it was his ugil shirt-
The missing button
The unassertive collar;
Perhaps it was his knotty hair
That boasted little acquintance with the comb
Or maybe it was his usualness
- One more impersonal handshake
Along the constant street-
That induced the functional smile
And operated the mechanical handshake.
His name didn't help either;
Mugambo Mugenge - You'd hear the name
In the outpatients attendance queue;
Not in the current Telephone Directory!
You certainly needed prompting.
I said he was an old time friend
But you continued to wave to passing cars;
I added he was a highly placed man
And you promptly took your cue
-" A University teacher, author of several works"-
"RE-E-Eally? Er-Om-Oh!...."
And you became word and emotion perfect
Like a dog that mistakes a thief for a visitor
And remembers to bark at his masters coughing,
You renewed and pumped the handshake
-Reshaped your mouth to a proper smile
-Recalled his famous public talk
That you had regretfully missed...
And observed, thoughtfully,
How unlike his photographs he looked.
You were tuned-
Delved deep into his latest novel
And wondered why his main characters
Do not walk on solid earth
And fail to effect living communication
You'd have rambled on, no longer looking at him,
But he quipped:
"They are in good company"
And was about to add when you knowledgeably
interrupted
"Society is a market stall
And men are goods on display
Where the label is more important than the labelled
And the price is more fascinating than the value".
We parted, hoping to meet again.
You went away rehearsing his name
But probably un-remembering his face.
RICHARD NTIRU
A person becoming "word and emotion perfect" when he learns the guy he was casually ignoring is actually a high standing man in society.
Perhaps it was his ugil shirt-
The missing button
The unassertive collar;
Perhaps it was his knotty hair
That boasted little acquintance with the comb
Or maybe it was his usualness
- One more impersonal handshake
Along the constant street-
That induced the functional smile
And operated the mechanical handshake.
His name didn't help either;
Mugambo Mugenge - You'd hear the name
In the outpatients attendance queue;
Not in the current Telephone Directory!
You certainly needed prompting.
I said he was an old time friend
But you continued to wave to passing cars;
I added he was a highly placed man
And you promptly took your cue
-" A University teacher, author of several works"-
"RE-E-Eally? Er-Om-Oh!...."
And you became word and emotion perfect
Like a dog that mistakes a thief for a visitor
And remembers to bark at his masters coughing,
You renewed and pumped the handshake
-Reshaped your mouth to a proper smile
-Recalled his famous public talk
That you had regretfully missed...
And observed, thoughtfully,
How unlike his photographs he looked.
You were tuned-
Delved deep into his latest novel
And wondered why his main characters
Do not walk on solid earth
And fail to effect living communication
You'd have rambled on, no longer looking at him,
But he quipped:
"They are in good company"
And was about to add when you knowledgeably
interrupted
"Society is a market stall
And men are goods on display
Where the label is more important than the labelled
And the price is more fascinating than the value".
We parted, hoping to meet again.
You went away rehearsing his name
But probably un-remembering his face.
RICHARD NTIRU
A person becoming "word and emotion perfect" when he learns the guy he was casually ignoring is actually a high standing man in society.
They say image is everything. Unfortunately, despite knowing myself very well, knowing who I am and what I want, somebody wants me to change my image, because apparently, when we meet other people, they tend to ignore me, until when they hear the position I hold somewhere!
The art of managing an image, especially since I do not hold public office, is one I find hard to master. I am certainly unprepared for these changes being demanded of me. I find myself thinking like I used to in primary school when I did not agree with my teachers. Just being rude. But again, the cost can be enormous. That is my dilemma.
Just listening to Celine Dion's "On change pas" I feel like telling the change mongers...I might be wearing plastic hair and make up to please you, but deep inside, lies a proud African woman fighting to keep her identity.
I leave you with Celine Dion's "On ne Change Pas"
Just listening to Celine Dion's "On change pas" I feel like telling the change mongers...I might be wearing plastic hair and make up to please you, but deep inside, lies a proud African woman fighting to keep her identity.
I leave you with Celine Dion's "On ne Change Pas"
No comments:
Post a Comment