Songs of Anisha
“Ourstory,”
by Biodun Idowu
Ko ko ko
It’s hovering in the air above us
This silence clamouring for our words
Shh! Listen and raise your hands
Palm upwards, be kissed by the freedom of the air.
Ko ko ko
Let the one at home, tell the joyless wanderer
Something beckons and it is strong
Gird your loins, plant your feet
This wind looming is brutal
Ko ko di, ko ko da!
Warn the errant ant eating one
For tonight, we must sleep!
Our homestead has been plagued long enough
By needless vigils of hate
Let peace seep like love into our eyes and
Close them tenderly
Ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko di!
This hunter’s dog will return to camp
If ears reject their calling, then
We’ll speak to the eyes, urging them
To see what our silence says
It is hovering amongst us
This wind. Stick out your tongues and suck
We were once afraid together, now together we are strong
This thing cannot lift us, cannot shift us,
cannot stop us, cannot slam us to the ground
Ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko di!
We hear it in the wind, its hovering within us
Our feet must stay planted
Our steps firm and sure
Our eyes urging our ears to remember
Sleep this time tonight will be sweet, guilt free
We hear it, listen, understand and tell it
It is here, it is now and it is ours
Ko ko da!
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