Friday 3 June 2011

Marabou Storks, A Bench and a Mystery




Photo supplied by Poets United

Beside Uhuru Highway, lies a bench
Unsat by strangers in the city
Many a traveler could sit on it
And feasted his eyes on clever hawkers
Selling their merchandise
Or the occasional lovebirds
Chewing on grass
Or adept pedestrians mocking death
But no, people don’t sit on the chair

It is not uncommon for
Marabou Storks
To let C5H4N3O3
Splash on your face
To your shame!

The City Hall Fathers
Have it on their records
That the bench is in “good condition”
Save for the adventures
Of the Marabou

If you ask me, this is what
Tourists pay to witness first hand!

C) Lorot Salem 2011

From a prompt by Poets United Thursday Think Tank #51 Timeout 

4 comments:

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Well, I am willing to bet this is the most interesting response to this prompt! I now have to google marabou storks!!!!

Ella said...

I'm intrigued by the marabou; interesting take on the prompt~ Thanks for view!

Other Mary said...

lol, I am getting a funny mental image of a very clean, fussily dressed man sitting on the bench with a huge bird poo dripping down his head and onto his shoulder. :o)

Salem Lorot said...

@ Sherry Blue Sky, thanks Koko. I came to learn about Marabou Storks because along Uhuru Highway in Nairobi they are a beautiful to behold and even added to this beauty is the white of their 'poo' all over the tarmac and benches around.

@ Ella, thanks a lot. This poem was as candid as it was because this IS the state of affairs as it is.

@ Mary, you have conjured it well. You have captured it succinctly.And what a sight that is!

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