“Children of Malawi.” Photograph by Sima Pendharkar.
Dusty roadside
Throngs of people passing by
I sit content
Voraciously consuming
This Cadbury milk chocolate bar with raisins
I rest in this blue fiat
Broke down with one tire gone flat
Yet I’m quite happy
On this Tuesday afternoon
And just ahead
Men chew on their sugarcane
And babies rest in comfort
Slung across the sturdy backs of their mothers
Secured by bright chitenges
Elephants, zebras, oranges and blues
The deepest of hues
Men walk by, making attempts to chat
In sheer wonder of my flat
Wearing green suits
That read “Pest Control”
But I sit content
Knowing that I’ve spent
My money on this chocolate candy bar
That’s now halfway devoured
And a man approaches me from a distant stand
Two pineapples in hand
Vibrant greens with a caramel body
Their sweet smells delighting my senses
No for now, Mr. Pineapple Man
And I carry on
Eating the Cadbury bar, enjoying the raisins
Enthralled by the crowds
So he walks away, the pineapple man
And the bustling market
Rages on
This man selling sea foam green trousers
That one selling fluorescent orange soap
Yet another one selling boxed perfumes
I’m still lost in my world of chocolate
Enjoying the moment
And the pineapple man
Approaches again
This time,
Willing to cut me a deal
That I now simply must seal —
40 kwachas for one pineapple
With my pineapple in hand
I feel lucky to be in this land
The land of Malawi
With bustling markets
People of colors so vibrant
Smiles so true
Plates of sima, curry and greens
Beats so light and free
And 40-kwacha pineapples!
© Sima Pendharkar June 2007
InnerMusedPoetGirl 