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RAMBLE in the JUNGLE

The Heart of the Family

By Wanaku Verdzekov · · Kom & Indigenous

Tags: poem, family, party-politics

In lands where family ties are deep,
Where bonds of kinship never sleep,
Party politics seem out of place,
In the warmth of our ancestral embrace.

In Western lands, the family's small,
Just parents, kids, and pets, that's all.
But here, our family's vast and wide,
With love and kin on every side.

A spoken word to make it clear
Why family's what we hold dear:
In Grandpa's compound, we all unite,
Party lines just don't feel right.

So let's embrace our roots so strong,
Where every member does belong.
In unity, we find our way,
Together, come what may.

For family is the heart, the core,
More meaningful than politics evermore.
Let's cherish our bonds, both old and new,
And build a future where love shines through.

Reject the divide, embrace the whole,
For family's the foundation of our soul.

TM

— Wanaku Verdzekov

Reading & grammar

Reading level: Gr 6–8

Understand

  1. How does the poem compare Western and African families?
  2. Why do party lines "not feel right" in Grandpa's compound?
  3. What does the poem call "the foundation of our soul"?

Grammar focus: contrast with but. "In Western lands, the family's small… But here, our family's vast and wide." But at the start of a sentence marks a strong contrast. It is acceptable in modern English, used sparingly.

Try it: Write two sentences contrasting two places or groups, starting the second with But.

Discuss: Should politics be discussed at family gatherings? Argue.