Sinsibere
Lend me a hand
Let me stand
Let me labour
The fruits of my labour
Sinsibere
The sweat of a labouring woman
Births pots laden
With songs, with life
With joy
Sinsibere
Drops of coins
In empty cans may
Shroud calloused hearts
But never quench want
Sinsibere
A stick to aid our rise
The stick to tread the earth
The stick to quench want
The stick on the paths of life
Sinsibere
Stone me not with coins
Let me stand
Let me labour
Let me celebrate
The fruits of my labour
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Note
Sinsibere is a Bambara word, meaning the support that one needs to start something. This poem was inspired by contrasting the active work of the women in the Sinsibere Cooperative at Bougoula to the urban poor extending empty bowls for alms. Written in a car on the streets of Bamako – 01.03.2016
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