I dream of Africa

I dream of Africa
Gold dust carried
By winds with
Ancient secrets
Against my skin
Nubian heat
Darkens my neck
In a land of legendary Queens
And skyscrapers made
Of the same dust
Beneath my sandaled feet

I dream of Africa
Riding on a camel's back
Me in a shawl
A man in turban
Handsome as the desert
My companion
In a never ending
Journey on sand

I dream of
Places like Zanzibar
A land as beautiful
As its name
Were black men and women
Stand tall and lean
Unlike in other places
I’ve been
Except maybe Ethiopia
And Burundi

The best names are in Africa

I dream of
Crowded spaces
And bargaining customers
Market women
And area-boys
Places where inscriptions
On buses are common

A typical west-side story

In my dreams
I am in a South African
Safari
And the animals are with me
There is no invasion
Of territory
For here
Man and beast
Is evolved in unity

The cries of freedom rings strong here
The joys of freedom ring true here

When I envision
A dream-a goal-a destination
I end up in Africa