Poyo Napita *

Is this poyo that poyo
That poyo napita
The poyo napita of my childhood?

Is this rusty bicycle that bicycle
That creaking bicycle he pushed two decades ago?
Pushing bicycles selling papaws singing-
Poyo! Poyo napita!

Is this torn basket that basket
That basket we used to peep into
Peeping at his papaws in the torn basket
Peeping as we sang with him-
Poyo! Poyo napita!

Is this tattered shirt that shirt
The only shirt he ever had
The sweat drenched shirt in which he pushed his bicycle
With its burden of papaws in a torn basket
Is this shirt that shirt poyo! Poyo napita?


And is this me that me
Now dressed in a woolen suit and a silken tie
Being chauffer driven in my automobile
To a V.I.P seminar on how to help the poor
The likes of poyo! Poyo Napita!

*poyo napita – Swahili corruption of the phrase ‘pai pai zinapita’, that is - am selling papaws.

©2008 Otiato Opali