Poem by Kokasi Keki*

Kintu’s family lives in a village called Nangolol

Kintu is a teacher

He is reading

Kintu, he counts the days

When six days pass,

he celebrates Shabbat with his family

Naome, our mum, learning to be a cook and caterer

is cooking matoke on a charcoal stove

Kokasi, the first born, is 11, and in P5 class

He helps his mother carry water from the borehole

Katalima, the second born, is 8, in P2 class

She sweeps the room

Deborah, last born, is soon to be three

and walks in and out of nursery class

Deborah sings songs for Chanukah

Today we are celebrating Chanukah

Today, we are going to light seven candles

Katalima lights the candles

 

*This poem is the First Prize Winner from the 2002 Kulanu International Competition for Young Writers.  The author was 11 when the poem was written.