Vincent P. Magombe

"PHOTOMAN STORY"
(Poem by Vincent Magombe, London, June 1995)

(This poem is an anti-war poem! It is dedicated to the children of Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda, Sudan, Angola, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Iraq, etc., who, in all their innocence, have been the hardest-hit victims of War! The poem is a tale of  one child who witnessed the falling of bombs, and, accordingly, the death of little babies, of  their fathers and mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, and even of the photoman who had come to record the spectre.)

Many Children c-r-r-y-y...
             Well me, I no c-r-r-y-y!

Once upon de Afrika day...
Many bomb fall like de rain!

Dey have fall in de house...
Dey have fall in de field...

Dey have fall on de Dady...
Dey have fall on de Mumy...
Dey have beat Grand-mama...
Dey have beat Grand-papa...
* * Dey have fall on de Baby...

Many Children c-r-r-y-y...
            Well me, I no c-r-r-y-y!

When de bomb fall on de land,
It has beat my mother-land...

And, I have fall on de land...
My life... in de enemy hand!

And my eyes - dey close...
My blood run d-a-t big...
My heart beat dis small...

O, Lord... Was I l-i-v-e?
Oooo, dis I no believe!

When my eyes - dey have open,
I have smell something rotten...

Something smell in de land!
I was live in de death-land...
In the heart of de mother-land!

* * Oooooh, here come de photoman...

Here come many photoman...
Black and white photoman...
Some was huge, like dragon...
Some was slim, like skelton!

He flash, f-l-a-s-h photo-machine...
He click, c-l-i-c-k photomachine...

Photoman beat photo dis way...
Photoman beat photo dat way...

"I... am England Photoman..."
"I... am Special Photoman!"


Photoman say to me: "S-m-i-l-e..."
Photoman say to me: "C-r-r-y-y..."

"And when Baby smile - Sheeeee,
         I... Click, c-l-i-c-k photo-machine!"
"And when Baby c-r-y - Weyeeee,
         I...  flash, f-l-a-s-h photo-machine!"

"I... am England Photoman..."
"I... am Special Photoman!"

Photoman beat photo dis way...
Photoman beat photo dat way...

He s-a-y: "I come from England..."
         And he click, c-l-i-c-k photo-machine!
"I have come to de death-land..."
         And he flash, f- l-a-s-h photo-machine!

Den he open his mouth wide...
His face it look w-i-l-d!

"Oh, De bomb - It has come back..."
"To stop me... in my t-r-a-c-k!"

Oooo, Photoman fall on de land...
His life - in de enemy hand!

"And my eyes - dey close..."
"My blood run d-a-t big!"
"My heart beat dis small!"

O, Lord... Was he live?
Ooooo, dis I no believe!

He was England Photoman...
He was Special Photoman...

Once upon de Afrika day...
Many bomb fall like de rain!

Dey have fall in de house...
Dey have fall in de field...

Dey have fall on de Dady...
Dey have fall on de Mumy...
Dey have beat Grand-Papa...
Dey have beat Grand-Mama...
* * Dey have fall on de Baby...
* * Dey have fall on de Photoman!

F-l-a-s-h, F-l-a-s-h photo machine...
C-l-i-c-k, c-l-i-c-k photo-machine!

Vincent P. Magombe
Copyright by Vincent P. Magombe