For brilliance & guidance, the mind
eats out of their hand till nourishment,
as they counsel, cheer, castigate & caution.
Who can deny that the power of the fish
is in the water? The tears of a man drop
onto his chest? Is it “unmanly” to cry or tear?
Don’t men try to hide that they are sad or low?
Away from our egos as men, let’s humbly agree that
it’s natural & right for us to express our sad emotions!
A good orphan is one who is licked by a parent. Chew it.
Proverbs can be profound, paradoxical or oxymoronic.
Isn’t it true that one who is cared for is often joyful?
Say a man griped about the tasks and trials of polygamy,
yet the situation he was in was his choice, they would possibly
remind one that: an elephant’s trunk is never too heavy for it.
When they wanted to warn someone about the consequences
of one’s actions, they would simply make a strong allusion like:
Those who swallow a marula fruit whole trust the size of their anus.
Please allow me to say that the sayings
of our descendants are more than just
mere idioms but a nucleus & a spring
of accrued, treasured insight & light,
the ancient wisdom of our ancestors
is passed down by way of generations.
Please allow me to say that the proverbs
of our elders are more than just mere adages
but a faculty of heritage, history, hearing & healing
as these seek practical ways of dealing with life’s
lessons, seasons, reasons, actions, decisions & lesions;
these are our cultural plots that empower, enthuse & enlighten.
On hospitality, a visitor’s tummy is the size of a little horn, on humility, you don’t
dance and clap hands for yourself, and on patience or savoring a final bite,
those who dance last hog the limelight. Right? Save the best for the last.
