Colors Of My Tears

Our forefathers did it too but they pretended
not to because it used to be kind of a taboo
for an African man to cry. It showed a sign of "weakness"
Bullshit! That is not by any degree true
All men cry. As a matter of fact, REAL men do
Being one of them, real men, I do too

I cry. But not when I lose a shoe
I cry when they do, when I can't come through
for them when they desperately need me to
When I walk back home empty handed
With nothing for them to eat, nothing to chew
I cry. But not when they don't say 'thank you'
I cry when they sadly call my name, "Eddu,
please manh, please tusaidie na fare ya matatu
Please tuokolee tu, hata Kama ni ashu
Tumegonga mwamba! We are really stranded
Plus Njaa! Please, we promise hatuta-buy nayo glue.
Do I have a heart? Yes
Am I human? Yes
So yes, I cry
Colors of my tears....
Typing....

-Edwin Onyango