Around the World in the Good Ship DOGGEREL, 29

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

Burundi.

A landlocked country. Africa.

Though mighty lakes are near.

Rwanda borders on the north,

And Tanzania’s near.

The Congo lies just to the west—

That many-storied land.

Burundi, too, was Belgian once—

’Til ’62—so grand!—

When independence came at last.

But violence has reigned—

And bloody internecine wars

That leave their history stained.

But hope (as Emily once wrote)

Remains a feathered thing.

It’s beautiful and musical—

But quickly takes to wing

When war and horror flare and rage.

To coax the bird to sing

We need to learn to co-exist—

To hear that feathered thing.