"I want to be a pilot" (2006) de Diego Quemada-Díez
El poema
I Want To Be A Pilot
My name is Omondi
It means that when I was born
I woke up my mother
early in the morning.
I am twelve years old.
I live in Kibera
the biggest slum in East Africa.
My last meal
was on Sunday
today is Wednesday
I want to be a pilot
to fly very high,
far away from the ghetto
to a place
where kids have parents
that don't die of HIV
everyday
to a place far away
where guardians of orphan kids
cannot abuse us
everyday
to a place far away
where goats eat
things other than trash
to a place far away
where I am treated
as well as white people are.
I want to be a pilot
to wear a uniform
and fly very high
to a place far away
where I don't need charity
from distant lands
to a place far away
where white man on white coats
cannot try medicines on us
to a place far away
where the leaders we elected
stop filling their pockets
and start caring for us
to a place far away
where there are a lot of school
books
so one day
I can fly
far away
I want to be a pilot.
It must feel so good
to go places
where I can walk barefoot
on the greengrass
where water is clean
with rivers and springs
where I can feel the sun
shining on me
It must feel so good
to fly far away
to a place where I don't have
to dig through garbage
for metal scraps to sell
to a place where I have clothes to wear
when it's cold and wet
To a place that when it rains
it doesn't smell so bad
I want to be a pilot
so I can fly very very high
to take off and land
where my dreams are
To a place far away
where God just loves me
and churches are just
the mountains
the trees
the rivers
Yes
My dream is to fly far away
to a place where
my suffering can end.
I want to be a pilot
to wear a uniform
to go to places
where others are not afraid
to play with me
because I am HIV positive
where I can lead a simple life
where I can eat at least once a day
where there is a future.
I want to be a pilot
so I can fly
to a place far away
where my mum and dad are
so they can hug me
so they can kiss me
so they can love me
so I can hug them
so I can kiss them
so I can love them
thank you
Diego Quemada-Diez, Kibera 2004
