Fare Thee Well

   Fare thee well my khaki shirt, I would christen ‘my fair lady’.

   We have together seen the shores and sands of Sun and Sand,

   And of Boa-Zulu Beach, and of Club Makokola, and many a land

   Of the lake. We have together inhaled the notorious dusts of

   Spectacular Lilongwe, the elegant capital, when we went to scoff

   The naughty parliamentarians: oh yes, fare thee well my fair lady.

   We have together breathed the cool zephyrs of Zomba Mountain,

   Hovering and towering in majesty at the centre of the old capital.

   Together we have viewed Mount Mulanje’s Cedars, stunning and tall,

   And even the extraordinary and lovely Shire Valley, down south.

   My fair lady of them all, I do not want to let go, but I have to let go,

   Knowing the time has come for me to do so, and above them all

   The right time to write you a bright verse at a time I were to write

   You a dark verse, for I appreciate and celebrate your life in my life.

   Yes, fare thee well my fair lady of all; it has been such a long way

   We have come, both at home and away in roam in each given day.

   The sun would sometimes rise fairly for both you, my fair lady, and I.

   At others it would show only for you: at others only for me in the sky.

   And as the sun traveled above us, our expedition seemed obvious

   But you know as much as I know that it was not such a simple case.

   Yes, together we have gasped notorious dusts, endured coldness and

   hotness; supped beautiful beaches, superb statues and monuments,

   savored the striking  Shire River, and startling hills, valleys and planes.

   For all these, I say fare thee well; yes, fare thee well my fair lady.