May 2012
I went to the village today
And the marketplace was full
Mostly women as usual,
With their wares from everywhere.
Oranges, mangos and yams of every kind
And oh, the pungent red chili peppers,
Multi-colored fabrics from home and abroad,
Waving like flags in a parade.
There were still all the different noises
Including those made by the market women.
Including the goats and their cries and the beggars
And missing from all of this were those Noble and Majestic African Vultures
Those African Vultures who cleaned up each day. Is it true that the African and Noble Scavengers
As I remember them long ago
Went the way of the Chicken to the dinner table?
Some said so, but I do not believe it.
Heaven help us if this is true.
