I Am Always Quiet So That I

As A Kid In Africa, You Were So Connected To Nature Itself Because You Went Farming, Watched The Moon Out At Night, Observed How The Sky Was Different, And How The Birds Chanted Different Songs In The Evening And The Morning.

I Am Always Quiet So That I Know What To Say When I Must Speak.

For Many Observers, A Child Who Has Known Nothing But War, A Child For Whom The Kalashnikov Is The Only Way To Make A Living And For Whom The Bush Is The Most Welcoming Community, Is A Child Lost Forever For Peace And Development. I Contest This View. For The Sake Of These Children, It Is Essential To Prove That Another Life Is Possible.

Some Nights The Sky Wept Stars That Quickly Floated And Disappeared Into The Darkness Before Our Wishes Could Meet Them.

I Guess What I'd Like To Say Is That People In Sierra Leone Are Human Beings, Just Like Americans. They Want To Send Their Kids To School; They Want To Live In Peace; They Want To Have Their Basic Rights Of Life Just Like Everyone Else. I Think We All Owe An Obligation To Support People Who Want To Do That.