49. The Saharan Gateway (Libya)
A Shakespearean sonnet on the Greek ruins of Cyrene and the vast Libyan Desert.
The columns of Cyrene face the sea,
Where marble ghosts of ancient empires dwell,
Beside the shores of Tripoli, the free,
And Berber songs that desert winds foretell.
From Ghadames’ white-washed alleys, cool and deep,
To Akakus where the rock art speaks of rain,
The secrets that the vast Saharan dunes must keep,
Are etched in sand and red-hued mountain chain.
Though storms of change have swept the palm-fringed coast,
And oil-rich basins wait beneath the dust,
The spirit of the Mughtar is the host,
Of dignity and ancient, sacred trust.
A land of oases and of marble light,
Still seeking peace within the Saharan night.
50. The Nilotic Dawn (South Sudan)
A Petrarchan sonnet on the Sudd wetlands and the world's youngest sovereign state.
The White Nile wanders through the swampy Sudd,
Where Dinka cattle move with ancient grace,
A youngest nation finds its sovereign place,
Baptized in hope and long-shed, bitter blood.
The Boma plains are green after the flood,
Where migrations leave a wild and thundering trace,
Across the Equatorial forest’s face,
Above the rising, fertile river mud.
Though shadows of the struggle linger yet,
And Juba’s heat is heavy on the brow,
The torch of freedom is a steady bet.
The drums of peace are beating loudly now,
A rising star that will not easily set,
To which the valiant people make their vow.
51. The Land of the Upright (Burkina Faso)
A sonnet on the Sankara spirit and the Sindou peaks.
The red-clayed streets of Ouagadougou hum,
Where cinema and art define the soul,
To catch the rhythm of the balafon and drum,
And make the shattered visions finally whole.
The Peaks of Sindou rise like stone-carved flames,
In Banfora’s mist and sugar-cane fields,
Where ancient heroes leave their sacred names,
And every upright heart its courage yields.
Though winds of the Sahel are dry and hard,
The cotton and the gold are in the hand,
Of every farmer and every village guard.
The Land of Incorruptible command,
Still keeps its sovereign and its proudest card,
Across the resilient and the sun-drenched land.
52. The Chocolate Equator (São Tomé and Príncipe)
A sonnet on the Pico Cão Grande and the Roça heritage.
The volcanic thumb of Cão Grande peaks,
Through emerald mists of forest, deep and wild,
Where nature in its primal language speaks,
To islands that the ocean has beguiled.
The abandoned Roças dream of cacao gold,
Amidst the creole laughter and the salt,
With stories of the empires, brave and old,
Whose shadows were brought to a sudden halt.
From Príncipe’s reefs to São Tomé’s bay,
The Equator crosses through the Rolas isle,
Where peace and slow living greet the day.
With turtle nests and a gentle smile,
The middle of the world is here to stay,
In paradise that stretches for a mile.
With these, we have completed the set for the recognized nations.
No comments:
Post a Comment