I wrote this on our first trip to Uganda in 2015. Jonny Fitch turned into the catchiest of songs and added the "My name is not Muzungu" line. It is a reasonably simple poem BUT, for me, expresses a lot of depth. The last lines might not be the best I have ever written but, when I shared them with my brothers and sisters in Onialeku Primary School at its opening in August 2015, they became my favourite!
Africa, I am waving at you
And you always wave back and smile
Roads teeming with fascination
Red dust mile after red dust mile.
Africa, I am staring at you
All the wildlife through the trees
Elephants under the mangos
The smell of your welcoming breeze.
Africa, I am singing with you
Your joyful songs of being free
Ubuntu, what a great refrain
Without you, I can’t be me.
Africa, I am praying for you
Water and education and health
That you don’t get all our poverty
With justice, peace and wealth.
My name is not muzungu
We may have a different skin
But all of our blood is red
The same grace colour
That Jesus bled.
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