9th October 2062
That evening I will sit in conversation with my grandchildren
I will tell them of the days of my roaring youth
I will tell them of the opportunities I grabbed
I won’t lie; I will tell them of the chances I missed.
I will tell them of the trends of our time
Of rainbow jeans, alien hair and Chinese everything,
Of the age of slight cloth, mini emancipation that is if themselves will be dressed!
I will journey them through the burdens our bodies shouldered
How they ached with all tribes of dance
From Kanda Bongoman to Awilo Longomba to Eddy Kenzo
I will tell them of the evolution of technology
Of the transition through all the K-series;
Kabiriti, Katooki, Katikitiki, katala
How they suffered under the wrath of
Touchism and smartism that ushered in the cellular anatomy
Where small was bad and large was good.
I will tell them of the lexicon of our time
Of the verb – to Kiprotich to Golola and the noun Inzikuru and the phrases “of those ends”
I will tell them of the moments of the age
Of Chogm and the Eclipse
Of Lakwena, Kony or Kibwetere
Oh! And that cold breath of 11th July 2010, that stinks
I will tell them of the over 30 years of solitude
That walked in from the bush
They fled the five years of confusion
Mothered by a one life time President
The army commander to the 9th October 1962 chief
I will tell them of the love that soured
Between His Highness and the Prime Minister
Days after the hoisting of the Uganda Flag
I will tell them of our referral hospitals
That needed referral
Of the technology minister who bought a trap for his computer mouse
I won’t speak of the bills, those would be thousands
And the tax-mountains would be past the snow line
Public smoking, oxygen bill, coughing bills and itching bills
And how oxygen was for free
I will tell them of this day,
And the beauty of this evening,
When my lips shot people’s minds
With the bullets of the word
The pride of my nation thus far
And I will proudly say,
“I saw it all.”