Monday 23 April 2012

When the Cinema Came to My Village



When the Cinema came to my village
It was the biggest thing ever

My brothers and I
Sat on sand

In front
Was a big white cinema

I remember how Rambo
Killed everyone

The Terminator, Commando,
Bruce Lee, Shaolin Tempo

These people fell from tall buildings
Then stood on both feet

The next day, a 13 year-old
Climbed a tree and jumped

Well, he was no Rambo
So don’t wait to hear what happened next

When the Cinema came to my village
Old men laughed to expose their toothless grins

When people kissed, they covered their faces
Eish, these wazungus love each other!

I remember  a boy asked me,
“These people are bad, how can they burn
Their houses instead of giving us?”

I am still thinking of the answer,
But I know what the audience wants

So, back then,
We shaved clean to be like Shaolin Tempo

We made small plant guns
And became Commando

The problem is that along the way,
Hollywood didn’t scout for talents in this neck of the woods








2 comments:

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Oh my God, I love this poem SO MUCH. It figures that the first movie shown in a small village would be Rambo! I LOVE the toothless old mens' grins. And the question of the little boy that has no reasonable answer.

I love the spiffed up look of your site, grandson! Your poem made my morning. Koko

echoesofthehills said...

As always, much appreciated, Koko.

Yes, Rambo came to the these sides, he he.

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