Queen Delilah

This is before Soroti, before Mbale and before the city.

All he knew were his father’s fauna.

The number, shades and marks on the animals.

The grazing ground, the kraal and time for milking.

He was well acquainted with life and the people in his nomadic soil.

He was a happy boy, a contented son of a nomad

But all these joy were before the coming of Delilah.

Delilah came from metropolis to dupe Lochan about metropolis.

Of metropolis, Delilah talked about free food without saying-through suppliant,

She talked about good shelter not mentioning that at the veranda.

Delilah pledged a coat of many colors instead of talking about rags,

She promised Lochan city edification which was mere fiction.

Delilah built for Lochan beautiful air castles on his health at metropolis

She is so good at keeping a dubious business secret.

So - Lochan was to become Delilah’s commercial tool.

Lochan, only 5, is woken up at cock-crow with sweet hot coffee for his bare back

He must go and display his misery by the roadside to attract coins from sympathizers

Delilah’s assignment is hard to pass:

The minimum currency this beautiful woman expects a day is 10 dollars!

Poor Lochan is allowed to swallow something only after making extra of the said currency unit.

But he never hits the target.

So - food for Lochan is only kept by KCC garbage group,

But he is assured of delicious coffee for his nude back at dawn and at dusk.

Coffee at dawn is to enable him keep time, evening coffee is to do with failure to deliver 10 dollars.

God, who will reward Queen Delilah?
When will Lochan be called Lakara?

                                            (Robert Owiny, July 2010 - Moroto, Karamoja)