Richard Likumba works for National Breweries as Manager Operations.  He is a keen actor and heavily involved in administrative duties at Kitwe Little Theatre as well as NATAAZ, the national body theatrical groups affiliate to. For a scientific-oriented person, he amazes us all by his unique ability to write poetry.

My Stone

by Richard Likumba

Trudging home on a hot sunny day

Along a well worn way

I hit my bare calloused foot

Against a stone.

Heat induce ennui led my eyes

To seek out the object of my discomfort.

There it lay in dejection by the roadside

In obvious misplacement

Its rugged edges an apparent defiance

To the element that weathered it thus

The parent rock from which it was

chipped

Is not anywhere in sight.

I stopped and picked up the stone

Felt its steely resolve to be

Each facet of its rugged form

Telling a tale of its sojourn there.

Held in my palm

A oneness was born with me

A bond that defined our chance meeting

The paths that brought us together

Diverse, but enriching nonetheless

Animate and inanimate

In cosmic rapture we conversed

The scorching rays of the harsh sun

Our discourse could not disturb.

The chance meeting, wordless sharing

On that lonely path

Strengthened my resolve to be

We are but a chip off a big rock

And further from the rock we shall

Wonder to share our experiences

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