Poetry

Lost Paradise

By Saiid Mosamed

WHEN I WAS A KID,
MY DREAM WAS TO GO FAR AWAY,

FAR AWAY FROM MY HOMELAND,
FAR AWAY FROM MY MONOTONOUS LIFE AND

TO KNOW THE LIMITS OF THE HORIZON.

IN MY FATHERLAND, LIFE WAS ANNOYING.THE SUN WAS SHINNING EVERYDAY, THE MEADOW WAS EVERYWHERE,
THE BIRDS WERE SINGING ALL DAY LONG,
THE BANKS OF THE COMOE WERE VERY QUIET.

MY PARENTS WERE TAKING CARE OF ME.
I DIDN'T LIKE TO PLAY WITH MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

NOTHING WAS FAST, NOTHING WAS NEW,  LIFE WAS SO BORING.

BUT THE MORE I'M RUNNING THE WORLD, THE MORE I'M REALIZING
I'M LOSING MY PARADISES:
I'M MISSING THE SHINING SUN,
I'M MISSING THE SONGS OF THE BIRDS,
I'M MISSING THE PEACEFUL BANKS OF THE COMOE,
I'M MISSING MY MEADOWS,
I'M MISSING MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
I'M MISSING MY FAMILY,
I’M MISSING MY FATHERLAND,
I'M MISSING MY BLACK CONTINENT, I’M MISSING MY AFRICA.

OVER HERE, MY LIFE IS DISTRESSED,

MY SOUL IS FALLING APART,  MY FLESH IS DRYING,

FAR AWAY FROM MY AFRICA,
FAR AWAY FROM MY AFRICA, 

FAR AWAY FROM PARADISES
AND I'VE RUN THE WORLD OVER

SEARCHING OF WHAT I NEEDED:

EXCITEMENT AND JOY, WELFARE, WELL-BEING,

LlFE... AND I'VE MET THE WORLD,

I'VE MET PEOPLE: BLACK, RED, YELLOW, WHITE, GREEN, BROWN AND MUCH MORE
I'VE CLIMBED THE MOUNTAINS, CROSSED THE RIVERS SWAM THE SEAS AND THE OCEANS, SLEPT IN THE VALLEYS. MADE MONEY AND MADE LOVE AND I'VE SOWN MY WILD OATS, AND ENJOYED LIFE.
I WAS A MAN IN THE WORLD.