W.M. Rivera has a new book titled Buried in the Mind’s Backyard (Brickhouse Books -- also available at Itascabooks.com and Amazon.com). Born in New Orleans, he began publishing poetry in the 1950s. Hi
Returned from the heart-shaped continent,
clocking time, Africans with PhDs taxi forth.*
Those who have crossed and live, look
back, let go traditions for the modern grab.
Their ‘Africa-Independent’ is overrun;
its cities
I hate to see that evening Sun bite down
one ruler for another, one America
for the next, the race starts over, fresh
forgetfulness. Blank slate.
Firms fix to win
unless the grid
> “There are people who ignore Zambia’s plight. And there are people who try to
take advantage of the situation.”
—Sharon Fabian, Drought in Zambia
Behold Lusaka! And me in situ
come
From Washington, DC to Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, for an agricultural
development conference, held at the Golden Horse Casino Hotel, May, 2007.
I don’t mean to fly off the handle but
flying off…
