Running and the Spiritual setup Dilema

Running and the Spiritual setup - Dilemma

Aping your Poetry

Sam Mwaka-karama

The runner’s dilemma was the innocence – the free will

The free spirited livingness that carried the runner on his way

The runner was spiritually picked!

The colonial master didn’t know the running man – he was of the village!

There were no sports training to determine his picking…

But the runner was picked for his task – he was designated

And the runner performed…

Every day the runner was the daily - tasked with his responsibility

Barefoot, in a loincloth, held a long thin javelin

Crack tipped at the top – javelin clip-held a letter

At the crack of dawn it was flag-off

And the runner picked-up his rhythm and the beat was-on

Chap-chap, chap-chap, chap-chap

And then the song came to mind and heart…

Okwanyo gudu Lumule diki-dwogo/

Wange rii ki yoo/

Wange ki yo do – kel alyeka anen/

Aliye-ker

  

Chap-chap, chap-chap, chap-chap, chap-chap

Sweat popped-out and ran down the face, neck and chest

Sweat streamed - down the back

The old song in mind and heart, tap-tap-tapped the rhythm…

Colonial authority had a Khaki short quickly replace the loincloth

Olel! Was the recognized runner – the herald messenger

The harbinger of communication

Between Governor’s Gondocor in Nimule and Gulu…

Anglo Egyptian colonialism extended to Acholi and Lango in Nothern Uganda

 Teso and Karamoja in Eastern Uganda

The scant road dug; Gulu to Nimule, by the Luroni Men conscripted

Road workers of the PWD pida – cheered the runner on his way

The workers sung for him as he jogged past waving…

They praised the strong road runner for doing us proud

and meeting the challenge…

They sang even as he was long gone; down the valley

Up the hill and round the bend – they sung…

Okwanyo gudu Lumule diki-dwogo/

Wange rii ki yoo/

Wange ki yo do – kel alyeka anen/

Aliye-ker

 Olel – was a short man of quick small movement of the body

Walked in short quick-steps, talked in short quick manner

The runner was a nonstop restless man…

But was never a breathless man

Olel – in Acholi was also the nickname of Rabbit the Hare

The Fable Rabbit that is known in folktales World wide

Olel – the colonial runner died in absolute obscurity!

His legacy spiritually squashed – as a girl, mama was his fan.*