Africa, O' Africa,
The land of always sun.
Africa, O' Africa,
To you my heart does run.
Africa, O' Africa,
Where white men's bones are bleached.

Africa, O' Africa,
With places hard to reach.
Africa, your tribes too varied,
With many cultures vast.
With rituals deep,
with bodies scarred identities to keep.
You labor in your huts of mud,
Working to eternal beats,
from skin stretched drums of wood,
Rugged roads with tortured lorry,
Jostled, tossled, to and fro.
Insect eater,
Fight mosquitoes
Flee from malaria's death throes.
ravaged land by beast so many,
Hoppopotamus and man.
Waging wars among your peoples,
blood so red,
O' so bold!
Stop the slaughter,
Use your Gold,
For a people ancient and old.

Africa, O' Africa,
Struggling nations,
Growing, searching for their places,
In the world that races on.
Deep within your jungle laces,
Hidden peoples carry on.
Left behind by time that paces,
We move toward a new and better dawn.

Africa, O' Africa,
Who's blood flows deep and red,
Lift your sullen tear filled faces,
Towards the God that is not dead.
Lift your eyes and see his Glory,
Know He died for even you!
He's the God of all the races,
Yellow, Brown, White, Red and Black.
He's the God that erases all the evil bloody acts.
If we'll look to His great graces life will lose its heavy pack.

Africa, O' Africa,
Land I love so dear.
Your drums beat load and clear.
Your people dance in hues severe,
Their storied songs to cheer.
Of fabled lives, safaris run, caught colors of Crowned Cranes.
Will you sing of me?
Will you cry for me?
In golden evenings glow,
that yields her light to sudden night.
The Africa I know.




Africa, O' AFRICA (c)2001 David L. Clingerman