From thoughts into words

Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist is a rather simple story. I think its genius lies in its simplicity. The story can be followed by child and adult alike, each one connecting with some aspect of the story and deriving some magical truth out of it. The stories-within-the-story that captured my imagination the most included the one at the very beginning, ie the tale of Narcissus and the Lake. It’s such a funny statement on human nature. The idea that when each of us shows an interest in our fellow human, it is often a selfish interest is true, and sad in a funny way. Is it possible for a Narcissus to recognize the lake for its beauty, and for its generosity in sustaining various life forms or is he bound to only see his reflection when he peers at the lake’s surface? What of the lake? Does it not notice the vain, insecure man before it? How can the lake’s sole interest be the admiration of its reflection in Narcissus’s eyes? I hope I’m not as cynical as the one who coined and related that...

There seems to be a general recognition that each one of us is perpetually in debt to our community, perhaps for its affording us opportunities that we wouldn’t otherwise have had access to. Some might resent this, so maybe I should modify this claim and state, in addition, that even when the community has been nothing but a source of heartbreak, many still feel an obligation to make it better so that others don’t have to suffer through the same negative experiences in the future. The challenge to give backto one’s society is a difficult one to meet, especially in this day and age. Life demands much of us- some would say too much- in the name of meeting our basic necessities. When the sun sets and its time to shuffle home and lay down to rest, few people have extra coins in their pockets to spare for a stranger. Still, there is something to be said about giving back. There is a reason why most religions ask their faithful to be their brother’s keeper. There’s a definite reason why char...

I am painfully aware that I miss you, That I will never see you or talk to you again. The door shut in my face for the last time; We said our final goodbyes. All that is left now is the unspoken: Everything that should have been said but wasn’t said, Thick and pungent in the air. I knew your heart, I could read your soul. Not a word spoken, but I knew. And now… nothing but memories. I tried to push you away from the hole, but ended up plunging in myself. And now I’m falling, falling… When does this end? Now I’m angry with you, Angry that you left, Angry because you didn’t have a choice. The decision was made for you. And for me. I’m falling, falling… All around me vast, empty blackness, Inside me vast, black emptiness, And the painful awareness that you are gone. This work is licensed to Rose Kahendi under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License .

I want to write, but somehow I can’t. I see the images in my minds eye. I know the story, but the words are gone. Why? Can you understand the urgency behind my desire to write? Do you know how important it is for me to tell? I want to write of my pain and of the emptiness inside. I want to tell you of a loss that is still fresh. I want to cry, but can’t. My voice is gone, Gone. Nothing left but the heaviness, The pain-numbing music, And a bird trapped inside a gilt-cage, Wings a-flutter, bashing its head against the bars. You see my tears, but don’t understand. How can you? I can’t speak. First published in TakingITGlobal's Panorama Zine on 21st April, 2008.

The writings of Ali A Mazrui and Alamin M Mazrui on language and Africa in The Power of Babel: Language and Governance in the African Experience , and in several other publications have provoked me to think deeply about the legacy of language policy in Africa. The thoughts that I outline below come from my engagement with the ideas set forth by these and other scholars. The development of language and politics in postcolonial Africa has taken divergent paths in different African states. In some cases specific language groups have expanded, while others have shrunk or even vanished. This could be attributed to improved communication in the geographical and linguistic senses, colonial and post-colonial language policies, the work of language promoters (including missionaries, ministers of education and broadcasting and, to some extent, teachers and linguists). In sub-Saharan Africa , official state languages (in which all official business, including the running of the government ...