Baskadia

Those are my people, the black and shiny faces...

The ones who don't give a damn about going places...

Yes, we wear tyre sandals crafted without laces...

We do not try to belong, we always stand out..

We lead the way and we shine bright...

Those are my people, the scarred pasts...

The ones with cracked dry lips softened by the fresh cool stream water...

We wipe our sweat and continuously toil in smiles...

So our future generations won't walk the miles...

We are the cultivators along the mighty Nile...

We are your fresh and cereal food basket...

Those are my favorite songs, humming for wars...

Riding on the backs of elephants in the savannah...

He who treks with us is never a foe...

We are the black warriors slowest to anger...

My people only resort to fury as the least resort...

Yes, our frown must really scare you...

Those are my favorite dance strokes under the full moon...

To the right are my brothers with strong arms uttering their clan chants...

To the left are my sisters with their wavy waist beads...

Bwola for Royalty, Larakaraka and Ajere for courtship, Utole for eradicating impunity...

Let the Calabash be linked to the drums by the sound of the flutes and zithers...

Those are the foods that keep my people healthy and strong...

Lakotokoto, dek ngor ki shear oil is our identity...

Did I mention the medicinal Malakwang? the healing bite of ukwee? the taste of Ajabu and the pride in pasted game meat!!!

My people never lack, the granaries are always full...

Those are my people, see how sacred sex is among us...

Marriage is our pride, our ladies in it confide...

We multiply with dignity, we fill the earth as asked by the almighty...

Respect is paramount amongst the households...

Yes, our giant wives kneel down to give us the respect we earned...

We love them for they reciprocate every inch of it to the society...

We share, we care, we bare ....

We break bread, we only shoot when shot at...

We have the darkest skins but with the most golden hearts...

We are tall but not to spit on the shorter ones...

We are we, you are you, We know you always wish you could be we...

We are the elephants, We are the Acoli

©Loum P'Loum