In awe
I am
That you ignore the concept of time,
hold no rush no hurry no hussle,
in step.
You speak soft and low
Gentle, baritone
In all interactions-
Even excited.
You roll words over tongue like a hymn
And you dance in this same wave of vibration.
You would describe this
By the rhythms of nature.
You hold no prejudice
Despite particular upbringing
You hold no anger
Despite reason to be angry at the world
You never sacrafice your authenticity
To our social system
I often replay
A scene
Of you buying passionfruit from an old woman
On the streets of Kampala.
Fruit piled like trickery perfectly ontop of each other
You smile
Try Swahili and some English
Barter with cheek
Pay for the fruit
Bow to her
Hold her hand in respect and kindness
And then
Linger there.
And the moment feels safe and loving,
Not strange.
I presume this is time to move on.
I begin to walk.
But did I not tell you this man
Holds no preconceived structures?
You sit down and play with the grandchild and offer some biscuits to them
I look back and lift off my chains of Englishness.
Let me learn kindness and love from this man.
Let me learn selflessness.
Let me be reminded of what is important.