Scribbles

Winds may manage to erase our prints off the belly of the earth, Smiles we lit on faces of people may go off, Life may even pretend to have not birthed us, Dreams we molded to create better futures may be treated as trash, Then, when death has had devoured our lives. But now is the time, Now is the time to inscribe our names, Deep in the skin of the sky, Tattooing them so thickly that stars should envy, So that even when we pass, Those alive then may know that we too were here. Time and seasons will soon forget us, Even flowers in our gardens without us will go on, Friends and acquaintances we made alone will leave us to sleep, Gold and silver in our youth we picked will have new masters, Then, when death has had harvested our lives. But now is the time, Now is the time to inscribe our names, Deep in the skin of the sky, Tattooing them so thickly that stars should envy, So that even when we pass, Those alive then may know that we too...

                   Light up the path of a lone hunter in the dark forest, Brighten the dull cold dreams of an infant girl. Let the night glow, brightened with stories of sleeping old heroes. Warmth of our sleeping fathers, Bring out from within us the good that accompanied generations of our fathers, Burn in our hearts, burn in our souls, Keep us awake, keep us alive. Gerry Sikazwe

If stars were erased from off the sky, What would brighten the stories read to children, If stars were plucked out of the night's sky, What shall nursery rhymes speak of about the night. If stars from existence disappeared, What then will the young of this generation wish to be, If stars got caged and their light from earth withheld, What would warm children's dreams. If stars ever fell, Burn your candles with love, If stars ever got lost from their trail, Let love shine on everyone, everywhere. Gerry Sikazwe

You light within, Yet from us your shine is concealed, You roast all in thee, Yet warmth from us you bar. Why then do you exist? If not to excite our weary eyes, If not to sing lullabies to the sleeping Sun, Or to watch over the lonely moon, groping its way through the night. Awake! Awake, you sleeping star! Rub grave earth off your skin and glitter. Put on your legs and stand. Shine! Hide not any longer, Bloom every night, Bloom every light, Keep your eyes open, Watch us through the night, Watch us every light.

Who will you be tonight? Will you be the moon, Or the fresh wind that accompanies it? Will you be the brightest star,  Or the darkness that peeps behind it? . Who will you be tonight? Will you be that dancer everybody prays they tango with Or will you be that one who ignores the luring call of music to the floor? Will you be her, the one with a warmly burning smile, Or him coldly quiet, afraid to loosen his laughter? . Who will you be tonight? Do not be me, Do not be them, Just simply be you, and glow.