Dr Fixit (Africa's Longest Poem) Volume Five

The soldier ant is busy penning his movie script and also delving into the adventure tale written by tortoise. Below are the excerpts:2360Stardom isn't a cheap commodityYou buy with 'flying the colour'Of your cult, smoking cannabisAnd wearing big shoes;Stardom is bought with passingExams with flying colours, workingOn your potential by payingBrainstorming and sweat as dues.Stardom is not bought runningAround with weapons in the nameOf cult rivalry, maimingAnd killing one another.Stardom should be somethingOf joy shared by all those who loveGood things across every border, Pushing humanityPositively further.2361Surprisingly enough, what weWitness here is those initiatedCan hardly differentiateLetter A from ZEven if they are big asBillboards and would payTheir cult dues stealingFrom parents, I'm afraid.That is no path to stardomAnd these boys would onlyEnd up being used as thugs byPoliticians and moneybags ...The rest of the story we seeIn newspapers and on TVDaily, the many youthsMisled to live as scumbags.2362Then, I remember that'sThe reason the new-breedSoldier ants are on the ground.It should be apparent whyI'm dying to grab a radio stationAnd I'm doing that less thanTwenty-four hours from now.As we maturely turn our backsOn the multitude ofYoung men chanting rubbish, We head back to our baseAnd I'm adamant within meThis time that Pa Tortoise'sAdventure tale toThe very end I must chase.2363We return, dodging wet leaves, Jumping puddles and slipAgain into the castle -I leave for our chamber.As I settle down in my chair, I'm also telling my wife, Who is fully awake now, Our grim encounterWith the youngsters at the borderOf our enclave who trainedTo shoot guns; that someoneCould end up as a robber, When they realize they'd beenSpun fable by blood brothers -To be a real superstarYou must prepare to rollYour trousers and work harder.2469'"First son of the chief ofTortoiseville across the canal,"I replied, swallowing hardA gob of saliva."With your mouth you'veConfirmed it. Early tomorrow, Get ready - we would crossThe canal together.I'd not give my own daughterTo a rogue who wouldImpregnate and abandon herAnd run away with the cash!""Pay his wages and let him go!"The wife into the room broke."With his fibs, his hard workIs nonsense!" my hostessFor once was terribly harsh.2470'"With a male like this, the wifeAnd children would dieOf hunger as he'd beOwing here, owing there.His money she'd not seeAs he'd spend everythingOn wine, women and gambling -All the wife would bearAre insults from debtors.My daughter won't marry suchA lousy man; don't follow himTo anywhere, he's a thief.He'd kill you on the way; pay him, Add more but let him just leave -He's not the first son ofA responsible chief!"