Where I Come From

Pantoum poetry about Dar es Salaam

Where I come from,

There is no winter

All year round,

The sun shines down on us.

All year round,

We can go to the beach,

The sun shines down on us,

Blessing us.

The sun shines down us,

To radiate the diversity

In our beautiful city,

People from all walks of life.

In our beautiful city,

Order may not be in order;

We find order

In the disorder

We find order

Even in the little nooks and crannies.

Whether it be the beaches or the crammed roads,

A smile is shot right your way.

Whether it be the beaches or the crammed roads,

Or the angry drivers on the roads,

The five star beach resorts

Or the Mama Nitilie on the footpath

The five star beach resorts

Or the dancing vendors and street dwellers

From the skyscrapers to the kiosks

A smile can be found everywhere.

From the skyscrapers to the kiosks

People manage to be content.

Electricity, water and internet may not be assured,

But we don’t get frustrated by “first world problems”.

Electricity, water and internet may not be assured,

But what I can definitely assure you,

Is that the love
Is limitless