I want to be a pilot

My name is Omondi

It means that when I was born

I woke up my mother early in the morning.
I am twelve years old.

I live in Kiberathe biggest slum in East Africa.
My last meal was on Sunday

today is Wednesday
I want to be a pilot

to fly very high,

far away from the ghetto
to a place where kids have parents

that don't die of HIV

everyday
to a place far away

where guardians of orphan kids

cannot abuse us

everyday
to a place far away

where goats eat things other than trash

to a place far away

where I am treated as well as white people are.
I want to be a pilot

to wear a uniform and fly very high
to a place far away

where I don't need charity from distant lands
to a place far away

where white men in white coats

cannot test medicines on us
to a place far away

where the leaders we elected

stop filling their pockets

and start caring for us
to a place far away

where there are lots of school books

so one day
I can fly

far away.
I want to be a pilot.

It must feel so good

to go places
where I can walk barefoot

on the green grass
where water is clean

with rivers and springs
where I can feel the sun

shining on me.
It must feel so good
to fly far away

to a place where I don't have to dig through garbage

for metal scraps to sell
to a place where I have clothes to wear

when it's cold and wet

to a place that when it rains

it doesn't smell so bad.
I want to be a pilot.

So I can fly very

very high
to take off and land where my dreams are
to a place far away

where God just loves me

and churches are just
the mountains

the trees

the rivers

Yes

My dream is to fly far away

to a place where my suffering can end.
I want to be a pilot

to wear a uniform to go places
where others are not afraid to play with me

because I am HIV positive
where I can lead a simple lifewhere

I can eat at least once a day

where there is a future.
I want to be a pilot

so I can fly

to a place far awaywhere my mum and dad are
so they can hug me

so they can kiss me

so they can love me
so I can hug them

so I can kiss them

so I can love them

thank you

Diego Quemada-Diez, Kibera 2004

Rastreando mi interior

Soy invitada a realizar una oración por la tierra y el Universo y llamo a mi inspiración en un profundo silencio.

Cierro los ojos y escucho el canto de los pájaros,

acompañado de un dulce soplido

que suavemente me dice al oído

lo increíble de la creación...

PERFECCION...

no hay otra palabra más precisa,

resuena en mi corazón,

se escapa y vuelve

junto a la brisa

va y viene, pero no va,

solo viene

entra en mis pulmones

en preciosa armonía,

¡si hasta el vuelo de una mosca

se encuentra en sintonía!

y aquí estoy yo,

la limitación más pura,

rodeada de tu más alta hermosura,

buscándote en este día de rastreo,

y tú observándome en cada paso,

desde el primero.

Y al leer esto, aquí en Madrid, me doi cuenta de lo necesario que es para el ser humano darse un día de rastreo, llegar a lo más profundo de uno mismo en un mundo de superficialidad.

Que en mi vida cuente con muchos de estos días.