THE CONTAINER
Poem written by
Baba Alhadji Touré 5th year (10 years), Bahadou School, Timbuktu, Mali
Where are you ?
For months and months, we have been searching for you
From the heights of the sand dunes
We look at the horizon
Scaning the sky, sometimes the earth,
Looking at the North, sometimes the South,
Searching in the West, sometimes in the East
We believe you’ve been taken hostage or swallowed up by the sea
Swallowed by the dunes of the Desert
The container of hope or of solidarity
You have crossed your prosperous Europe and your generous Switzerland
You found yourself on the ocean
From Dakar, you crossed through forests covered in wild animals
Savannahs filled with wild grass
Finally you are here in
TIMBUKTU
The mythical city
The mystical city
Where every corner, every street, every square,
Each grain of sand is a story
ESL you have entered into the history of Timbuktu
Because the children will recount of you to their youngest and to generations
ESL our school
From now on, you are Hope, you are happiness, you are a nourishing sap
As your name will quieten the school children who cry
333 Saints bless you and acclaim you
Container of hope the children applaud you
From now on ESL, we will tell you the history of the city as
It has been told to us
ESL, we say Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU
Development is always sustainable./.