Kijabe 18/7/23
Dear Bwana,
Please forgive
the parody on Excelsior inspired by these chilly Kijabe July
days. If this does not make your countryman Longfellow squirm
in his grave I don’t know what will.
The shades of night were falling fast
As thro a Kenya village passed
8 blokes who bore mid snow & ice
A Kipande with the strange device
Mount Kenior!
Their brows were sad, their eyes beneath
Flashed like a panga from its sheath
And like a Kenya shilling rung
The accents of some shenzi tongue
Mount
Kenior!
Of happy homes they dreamed at night
Of household fires both warm & bright
Above the spectral glaciers shone
And from their lips escaped a groan
Mount Kenior!
Try not the pass, the old man said
“I’m not an ass the other said
I much the sooner stay in bed”
Lets all go back or we’ll be dead
Mount Kenior
O Stay! the maidens said and rest
Thy weary heads upon our breasts
So all turned round & bolted West
Deciding there to give it best
Mount Kenior!
The bush & sage with withered branch
Could not check this human avalanche
Til once again it stopped serene
At dear old dusty Quarantine
Ex-Kenior
At break of day the face of John
Was something sweet to look upon
The only Mount that called us now
Is called by some the greater Mau.
NOT Kenior!
We travelled o’re this pleasant mound
Past Undulele safely wound
A record trip from old Kijabe
Safe once again at warm Syabei
In Kenya.
There in the twilight warm & gay
Each stretched upon their bed they lay (Edgar & Josie want
me to add)
“We heard the coon come and play”
And in our dreams we reached the top
But even then we did not stop
On Kenior
With apologies
to
Shortfellow
“bin Wagstaff”
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