Where Are You Now?

WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

A little mining town called Gwanda,

Buried in Africa's heart.

There I taught in the local school;

I'd only just made a start.

The country was Rhodesia

Which now has another name;

Now it's called Zimbabwe

And things aren't quite the same.

Not a single black child in my roll-call,

(Indians were 'honorary'  Whites);

And, oddly, in the nineteen fifties,

We weren't too aware of 'rights'.

I was fresh out from London,

Intoxicated by the sun,

Very aware of a cast-off past

And a new life just begun.

Felicity is at my right knee;

She lives in the Isle of Man,

And we correspond with each other

As often as we can.

'Flick' is a Granny herself now

I can scarcely believe that's true.

As for the other children,

I wonder 'Where are you?'

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INDIRECTION

Ask them to smile as they're sitting in their places!

They'll purse up their lips or pucker-up their faces.

Some will look 'practised', others rather shy;

Some of them will blush, though I can't think why!

But catch them indirectly and what do I see?

Ladies of the afternoon, chattering at tea.

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