Land of the Equator

Contributor: Ann Christine Tabaka

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Under the blazing African sun
lies Kenya, land of the equator,
torn between present and
past. Proudly flying colors of
red, black and green. A
half century of independence
from Britain’s Union Jack.

Words fail what emotions
perceives. Awe inducing vistas,
mountains, forests, the bush,
and lakes, wildlife beyond any
imagination, all a touch away.
Love and despair wrapped
in a blanket of anticipation.

On the savannah wind excites.
Thunder, a roaring lion rushing
across the terrain. Lightning and
downpour at his heels. Day becomes
night in a single breath, as darkness
swallows the sun. Racing for
shelter, eyes widen, heartbeats
quicken. Forthwith, altercation
over, the sun emerges victorious.

Land old as the beginning
and modern as today,
intertwined in a collage of
smiling faces, vast wilds,
and high-rise edifices.
Beckoning tourists for a
livelihood of meager means.
Selling trinkets and dreams.


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Ann Christine Tabaka was nominated for the 2017 Pushcart Prize in Poetry, has been internationally published, and won poetry awards from numerous publications. She lives in Delaware, USA. She loves gardening and cooking. Chris lives with her husband and three cats.