Ma Patrie....a poem by a fellow MK (Missionary Kid)

Ma Patrie

I dreamt one night
And found myself
In my father’s land
The harmattan winds blew
And red dust
Caked my skin
I looked out on a farmer’s field
And there I found my heart
Planted deep within the soil
Once and for all
I need it back
So I bent to pull it out
The roots were strong
And grew so deep
How could this be?
Nothing grows in this harsh land
But there it was
my stubborn heart
So I began to dig
One by one I found each root
And traced them through the ground
Each one led me towards
a different source
Each root so unique
from the others
Some weak,
Some long,
Some shallow,
Finally I found one…
strong and deep
I dug and dug for hours
The harsh sun burned within my soul
I lay there weak and parched
One last tug and there it was
The path that led me
To your heart
And grew in
Africa


-Dee Kennedy

I couldn't have said it better than this. My childhood friend, Dee really captured me with this poem. My heart is still there, and Africa remains deeply rooted in me. I try and try to make sense of it all, but it doesn't and maybe that's a gift. My home, my Africa.