Once upon a time, son,
They used to laugh with their hearts
and laugh with their eyes:
But now they only laugh with their teeth,
While their ice-block-cold eyes
Search behind my shadow.
There was a time indeed
They used to shake hands with their hearts:
But that’s gone, son.
Now they shake hands without hearts:
While their left hands search
my empty pockets.
"Feel at home"! "Come again":
They say, and when I come
Again and feel
at home, once, twice,
There will be no thrice
for then I find doors shut on me.
So I have learned many things, son.
I have learned to wear many faces
Like dresses - homeface,
Officeface, streetface, hostface,
Cocktailface, with all their conforming smiles
Like a fixed portrait smile.
And I have learned too
to laugh with only me teeth
and shake hands without my heart.
I have also learnt to say,`Goodbye´,
When I mean `Good-riddance`:
to say `Glad to meet you´,
Without being glad; and to say `It’s been
Nice talking to you, after being bored.
But believe me, son.
I want to be what I used to be
When I was like you. I want
to unlearn all these muting things.
Most of all, I want to relearn
How to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror
Shows only my teeth like a snake’s bare fangs!
So show me, son,
how to laugh; show me how
I used to laugh and smile
Once upon a time when I was like you.
- Gabriel Okara
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Questing:
La Bella Figura
Chyaku Norisu Scarf
Wanna help?[/size:57e96393b9]
La Bella Figura
Chyaku Norisu Scarf
Wanna help?[/size:57e96393b9]