Africa – poems 2 die for

SMALL

So you wanted to continue
to Mercator project?

keep Africa down
to a tenth of its size

just that
you lost the vote 164-1
even
the Cleveland Browns
never lost that bad
(can’t score
a single point
in the NFL)

but having given us
size justice
why not
carry on
why
suddenly stop

North South
East West

up
down
right; left

when you talking a globe in space
doesn’t make any sense

so fair’s fair; give us
our turn

our moment up there
our day
in
the Sun

turned upside down
the map will be novel, the
map will
be fun

Cape Town at
the very pinnacle

Toronto, Moscow,
Manchester

and yes,
Washington

somewhere down below
no doubt
working on
some really special, for
the ages spin.

Yves
you swallow continents
pedalful at a time

expending more energy
than the whole of Europe
(no wonder
you eat so ravenously
and with such
miraculous delight)

Morning you guys. Let’s
get going Onward to Lusaka!

moon buggy astronaut of
the whole of
Africa
Emperor of handshake
in his slowly slowly chariot
of joie de vivre

“are you
for real?” they ask him
and
he does alter perceptions
pre-define reality

inexorably, beautifully
edging your way down to
Cape Town

bringing
out the best in us

all of South Africa it seems
waiting for you

screeching to an ecstatic emphatic halt

when, to their total belief
they see you, catch you,
pass you
dodging through Mother
City traffic

munching lunch
in their neighborhood

his little candle bringing
light to
us all

slowly, exquisitely slowly, guys,
wending its way
from France to
Agulhas

cape of needles, furthest point
South where
oceans meet