This week’s poem is a thank you to Sierra Leone, or as I would say in the 5 words of Krio I learned, ‘tenki Salone’. A week in that fabulously intense country could never be enough time, but with the time we had, Mum and I, with our gracious hostess and guide, sister Else, managed to see an astonishing amount and feel that we had been well and truly Saloned. With endless thanks to Else for sharing this favorite country with us!

Tenki Salone

For the denseness of your jungles,

Steepness of your hills,

Redness of your soil,

And the downhill driving thrills.

For the power of your downpours,

Hotness of your heat,

Blackness of your beach rocks,

Orange sand beneath bare feet.  

For the dazzle of your fabrics,

Brightness of your styles,

Skin and hair of many peoples

Each with interest in their smiles

For your twists and turns in history

Darkness you have seen,

Contrasts, changes, action,

Giving hope to Salone dreams.

Freetown 2017