girl from oromo

"Look at you " she said
"talking all proper english, you're a sell out"
these words rang through my ears
as I looked at this girl from Oromo,
I was confronted, because I spoke properly.
I never saw this day come,

she was an activist for equality,
she went to my university
I am a visionary who believes in financial power,
who believes the way to eliminate racial discrimination
is to gain financial power and to communicate effectively,
I explained my financial power theory to her

"slavery", said I, "was not born out of racism,
you see after the famous christopher columbus and co. found the west indies
there was a need for manpower
the natives were't used to such harsh conditions
and caught diseases of the europeans
and were dying
the europeans under indentured servitude
were becoming costly because the servants would go back and sue for money in europe
That was when they found the african man,
strong and could do the same work 3 natives will do
they did not sue, they were healthier,
at least the one third that did not die on the voyage,
they were profitable and economical
slavery was borne out of economics
out of a lack of protection in the law for them, there was no financial consequence to it"

If you have financial power i said to her,
any cop will think hard before harassing you unduely
you could have under your employ
a certain amount of people who will be jobless if you go to jail,
which doesn't fare well for the tax coffers,
you could be contributing a large chunk to the city budget
hence the cop's pay cheque
so he should know you're better off to the city outside jail than in it,
if he doesn't someone will tell him,
he has a consequence"

you see I intend to be wealthy
I intend it so that I can buy change for some,
motivate some also to work hard and be wealthy,
to create a sense of consequence for racial discrimination.

nothing changes in this society
unless somebody's cash flow is threatened,
or unless someone stands to gain something from it,
you should look at selling you idea from an economic standpoint
"economics" she said, "hell no, I'm communist to the core, and you
mr should be ashamed of yourself speaking the whiteman's language,"

to be continued....

David Momoh 2008

responsibility

Tomorrow when I wake up
I will be reluctant to put my feet on the ground
because I am not ready for the responsibilities I have to face
I will try to keep my feet in bed for as long as possible
because I don't want to sign in to life for the day
when I was a kid I was eager to run out of bed
and play all day wishing for the day I would be grown
now I'm grown I am reluctant to put my feet on the ground

My friend on my friends list died

I wish I sent you more messages,
I barely knew you
We were connected
only because we met twice in another country
You were one of the 400 on my friendlist

One of the ones I never talked to
by facebook standards we were considered as friends.
no conversation ever transpired
I thought it was ok to have you around as on my friendslist

now I heard you're dead
I'm confused
you were right there
I should have at least said hello
and got to know you more
I had a direct line to you
you weren't lost somewhere in the world
you were right there on my page
now you're gone

I'm left wondering
was having you on my list good enough
how many other people on my list would die
how many other people will I conveniently abandon
on my friendlist
Your death is a lesson to me
I've been doin it the wrong way all the while.

neighbour's food

"you child begs my children for food"
the neighbours always complained to my mother
thats a memory past that still lingers sometimes
I did not know what begging was
all I knew was that their food smelt good
I wanted to try it
when they had to leave in the middle of playtime to eat,
what was I supposed to do
sit and wait for them to return
as a 5 year old I followed.

my pride was hurt whenever I got scolded for begging,
begging for food when I had lots at home
these things were way over my head as a 5 year old
why did I always go to their house?
I don't know because they are my friends?
but truth was I never remembered begging,
I was living in the moment,
an innocent moment shouldn't be taken as anything else

Now I remember why I never asked for help,
because the lesson I learnt
was don't ask anybody for anything
lest they take credit for your success
now I'm 24 and I realize no man is an island
and I remember why I've been an island this long
because of my neighbours food.

freedom

It was bad,
I prayed and I fasted,
I still fall everyday,
its better but I want it to be gone,
I feel I'm good then you show up
and I never feel good again,
I condemn myself,
I denounce you,
then I run back to you
I carry the weight around with me everyday,
the chip on my shoulder,
no one really knows half the time
what I'm thinking about

you are the one I loathe the most
but in my weakest moments
you show up with the right words
luring me right back to you
oh how oh how will I rid myself of you
no one seems to be able to help me,

sometimes I feel helpless
close to depression
I call myself back to consciousness
I'm not the only one
that has you
I'm not the only one suffering in silence
the guy next to me is going through the same

He is also a slave in chains of silence.
he will never be free like me
as long as he remains silent
today I stand to lose everything,
today I stand to gain my freedom,
naked I came naked I will return
I am not ashamed to say anymore,
I've fought this in your turf for too long
I an changing the turf,
I'm addicted
yes I'm struggling with pornography +
now you know ,
now I'm free.

will I ever see the rain

it never doth rain but it pours,
I want to see the rain
I want to see it all come down from start to finish,
i want to be soaked in the drops fromt he sky
I want to smell the freshness of nature in my nose,
So I can feel alive
it never doth rain but it pours and when it does I want to be poured on

don't like me

I'm David I don't want you to like me
I'm not chasing you,
maybe I am,
I just want you to feel comfortable around me
because if you don't then I can't either
then we never get to know the real each other

don't like me but don't step on me and ignore my messages and calls,
did I offend you? tell me?
or do you do it to feel better about yourself.
Why are you in my phonebook and my friendslist
if you never say anything to me,
I have no bevy of ladies at my beck and call
but I'm still a person.

when you see my missed calls,
when you get my messages,
what do you think?
he's trying to get with me?
its quite irritating when an effort is made to talk to you
and you don't make the effort to reply.


maybe I see you liking me in 5 years or so
but not now. really.
I believe we could take it slow and learn about each other patiently,
best thing that would happen is that we would become friends
I'm David I don't want you to like me

Scrooge

So I meet you and I take you out?
maybe I pay for the outing?
or we can go drinking andI try to impress you with my knowledge
of spirits,
I buy a bottle or two
now you know I can afford it,
now I'm more acceptable to you.

I wear expensive clothes maybe?
or maybe just have the right expensive accessories
I just seem to be able to take you out randomly when you are down.
It makes you happy doesn't it?
you can always do what you feel like,

All fine and dandy like a friend says,
but when the tab comes I'll be the one to pick it up,
Its pretty confusing to me,
because the story of my paper trail is a complex one you have never heard
all you know is that I have no problem spending
I'm financially secure
So I qualify to be a bosom buddy

Do you know about the 3 jobs? the late shifts?
the academic struggle,
the distances I travelled to make a good income,
what were you doing with yourself then?
were you also making an effort?

do you think it's because you're good looking,
or is it because I want to belong to your "class"
what substantial thing will you offer me
that will compensate for the hardwork
and sacrifices that were made

is it sex? I could pay for that with the money
I use to take you out,
don't expect much respect from that,
what is it that you will do for me
that will make me feel like I'm not just spending but I'm getting in return

the pain of the sacrifice and loneliness
in a foreign town,
foreign conversation
how about 6 years in a foreign land
Learning a new culture while you were comfortable at home
no need to readjust or anything

what is your own story?
what struggles do you face concerning the future?
has it always been handed to you in a silver platter
and you eat from a gold spoon?
did you have anything you did to improve yourself,
are you looking to marry rich and take the easy way out?

now I see you and all you are looking at is my pocket,
All you want to do is spend,
it scares me and you scare me,
now I'll be a scrooge till you can tell me
what can you offer me?
what else can I offer you besides financial security.

Copyright David Momoh 2008

many faces empty spaces

Who are my friends I was once asked,
I couldn't answer
is it the 4 or 5 people i talk to all year round?
what of the over 100 numbers on my phone,
or is it the 400 friends I have on facebook?
I don't know,

Sometimes its me not saying anything
sometimes they don't say anything either
sometimes I make contact and never got replies,

Whats the point of the all the occupied space
When I want to talk to someone
I feel like there is no one
I guess there are many faces and empty spaces
I guess until you see the skeleton in my closet
You will always be a face