A road is a curve
A road is a twist
A turn to the east, crossing west
A turn to the south, crossing north
A narrow pathway up and down
How will I know?
Where to turn and go?
What step to take?
When to run at all?
Why not stroll the road then?
A song, “I am not a failure,”
A chant, “I will not boast off”
A choir within both you and I
An old hymn, known all along
A right from wrong, a road to be
In my heart, the crying voices
The hisses of a night’s ghost
That I will not depend on the shadow of a tree
I will not cast my gaze upon them
Because over there, yonder is a road my way
Even though my feet itch to move
This way or that way? Oh, we must!
Oh, we must! Take every chance and risk
But like a tree rooted in soil
I see no road again, even though the heart won’t relent
Me tells me hold on.
Do not forget, you and your friends sat on a rock of dreams
Recollecting the memories and remembering ancient times
The days when there were days and nights
With octopus roads weaving the bushveld
Remember the saying told by a grandparent?
To a grandchild around a hissing fire, that yesterday was
It’s neither a shadow nor a myth; it’s a choice with no rights
Those days, when the soil was rich with life and a whistle song
If only a picture captured
If only a recollection would stand
Still like the steel of a railway
Tall as a stalk in a field and fat as an ancient cow
Then maybe you and I
But gone are the days
When a friend and an enemy sat smiling
Centred by a table dressed with ambiguity
Just wait and see; you have to wish it
Because you too will reach the crossed paths
Pick one not hastily and do not be a chameleon
Take joy that you have a path and part with yourself
Scholastika Namutenya Negongo aspires to be a writer and editor. She hopes to bring to life words that will inspire humanity to be kind and loving to one another. She enjoys reading about the terrain and how humans adapt to their surroundings. Passionate about organic farming and self-sustainability, intending to rescue humans, animals, and the environment. Scholastika was born in Omeege Village, near Oshakati in Namibia’s northern central region, and relocated to Windhoek for university. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of English and Applied Linguistics.