Will you remember me, Tanzania? When my map of your curves is folded And I see no more your mountain in my mind Only your smile, straight as a line On the day I flew away.
The wind travels far, Tanzania And I must follow Knowing you has left me hollow And thus I search But will you remember me?
The feel of my flip-flop footfalls on your face, The sound of my laugh as your wind carried it away, Will you remember how your thorns pierced me, Pleading with me to stay? Oh, will you remember me Tanzania?
We pause for a moment at the barbed wire fence, Brief it burned But coke-bottle circles in my cheeks will be my memento Like your dark-eyed children and how, somehow they grow Taller, darker, row on row. Tell me you will miss me so Oh Tanzania.
Will you remember how your sun kissed my forehead? And how I tasted the feel of your words on my tongue? How I stole your air to fill my lungs? I stole as much as I could bear. Small, dark hands braided my hair
Will you remember me, Tanzania? As I cling to these landmarks and scars Which fade from my mind, Remember how I shook as we left each other behind Remember how I wore your earth on my skin Then let your rains wash me clean How I felt your forest Brown and green You were not as you first seemed But nor was I
Tanzania, Tanzania What will you remember? Here with your thoughts on mine, I bless the legacy of your skyline. Beautiful or ****** Oh, Tanzania Who do you say that I am?
Inspired by *Identities* by Matthew Mead, and also by my own travels