MAMA LISTEN BEFORE I TELL THIS

MAMA, MAMA LISTEN BEFORE I TELL YOU THIS, MAMA LISTEN

REMEMBER WHEN I WENT TO MY FELLOW MANS COUNTRY, MAMA REMEMBER WHEN I SAID I’M GOING TO SEEK REFUGE IN MY FELLOW MANS LAND,

MAMA LISTEN, LISTEN BEFORE I TELL YOU THIS, MAMA FROM THE DAY I GOT THERE I LIVED IN FEAR, MAMA FEAR WAS FOLLOWING ME EVERYWHERE IN THAT LAND, MAMA THE FUNNY THING IS ONE DAY THE FEAR CAME KNOCKING ON MY DOOR,MAMA LISTEN TO ME BEFORE I TELL YOU THIS? BANG! BANG! BANG! A HEAVY KNOCK ON MY DOOR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, WHO IS IT? I SAID, IT’S POLICE OPEN UP? WHAT DO YOU WANT? OPEN UP?

MAMA WHEN I OPENED? HIM THE POLICE MAN STEP INSIDE AND HIT ME WITH THE TORCH ON MY HEAD, I FELL TO THE GROUND, MAMA PLIEASE DON’T CRY, MAMA LISTEN TO ME MAMA LISTEN BEFORE I TELL YOU THIS, THE POLICE MAN PICKED ME UP BY MY PANTS LOOKED ME IN THE EYE, YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAID MAMA, HE SAID WHERE DO YOU COME FROM, I SAID AFRICA, MAMA HE HIT ME FOR THE SECOND TIME AND SAID WHERE DO YOU COME FROM, I SAID AGAIN AFRICA.

MAMA PLEASE STOP CRYING, MAMA LISTEN, LISTEN BEFORE I TELL YOU THIS, THEY PUT ME IN THE POLICE VAN DROVE ME TO SOME PLACE CALLED LINDELA LOCKED ME UP, MAMA STOP CRIYING MAMA THE PLACE LOOKS HORRIBLE MAMA MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS MAMA LOCKED UP INSIDE LIKE ANIMALS, MAMA, THE ROOMS WERE SMELLING AND UNCLEAN, THE FOOD WAS NOT HEALTHY, MAMA THE PLACE LEAVES YOU WITH MEMORIES OF NOT WANTING TO GO BACK, MAMA MY PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER AFRICA MAMA LOCKED UP LIKE ANIMALS, MAMA ITS TERRIBLE THE WAY IT WAS, THE WALLS OF LINDELA THEY GIVE NIGHTMARE’S IN YOUR SLEEP, MAMA THEY DERPOTED ME AFTER ONE MONTH,

MAMA ONE MONTH KEPT LIKE A BIRD IN THE CAGE, MAMA PLEASE DON’T CRY MAMA LISTEN, LISTEN TO ME BEFORE I TELL YOU THIS, MAMA ALTHOUGH I WAS TREATED BAD, CALLED KWERE KWERE, GRIGAMBA, INTERLOPER, FOREIGNER, MAMA LOOK AT ME NOW SICK AND THIN LIKE A COW IN DROUGHT, MAMA I WILL GO BACK MAMA I WILL GO BACK, MAMA LISTEN? LISTEN TO ME BEFORE I TELL YOU THIS, MAMA I WOULD NOT LIKE TO BEAR A CHILD INTO A WORLD LIKE THIS, MAMA I WOULD NOT WANT MY NEIGHBOUR, SISTER, BROTHER, FRIEND TO LIVE IN A WORLD LIKE THIS, MAMA STOP CRYING PLEASE MAMA STOP CRYING, LISTEN TO ME LISTEN BEFORE I TELL YOU THIS,

NO MATTER HOW HARD IT RAINS NOR HOW HARD IT PAINS, MAMA I WILL FIGHT THE SYSTEM THAT CAUSES THIS, MAMA I WILL TEACH ALL MY PEOPLE ON THE GROUND, MAMA LISTEN BEFORE I TELL YOU THIS, I WILL GO BACK AND FIGHT XENOPHOBIA.

bY WATSon SALAnJE , email: wsalanje@yahoo.co.uk