Everyone gathered in the committee room next day and with a warm fanta and pile of peanuts, toasted me. Speeches were made, prayers said, songs sung and the accountant read out a poem that he’d written all about me! It was all so sincere and so many of them wanted to say something that I found it really hard to find the right words to say thank you.
Getting kitted out in my farewell gifts!
Mr Cossam's Poem.
A TORMENTING ABSENCE
When the sun is set
You hear the sound
Birds in unison
Voice kalowe kalowe
Footsteps of people
Beating the earth
As absence of light creeps
Yet comforted Iam
My exhaustion will vanish
And tomorrow surely come
This therefore is not
A tormenting absence
When the rain water is sunk
Squads of insects sprout
Flying ants all over
Enjoying the atmosphere
Divisions of crawling animals
Raiding on the ground
As absence of water ripe
Yet comforted I am
The dark cloud will melt again
And some ants relish indeed
This therefore is not
A tormenting absence
A tormenting absence
Soon to be felt
As she stretches the smile
Registering leave of absence
For the uncalculated period
To a distant land
A nzungu everybody loved
Her colossal capabilities
Many inferred
The unsparing courtesies
This indeed will be
A tormenting absence
A tormenting absence
Mulanje woods will not heal
The Lifuu elephants not twart
The Liwonde park forests not hide
The Zomba plateau not flatten
The Sapitwa mizimu not stray
Chilwa waters not salten
The karonga chididi not crack
Lake Malawi waters not freshen
A tormenting absence
Of Ms Clare Lawrance
May God bless her.
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