Kapal Haus: Down But Not Out

Many times you have crush my hopes
I have dreams of you that never fulfills
The crime rates seems to be at its peak
And men run around like animals
Raping and killing mercilessly
Oh Western Highlands!
The home of Blue Mountains
Vast fertile land and icy cooling rivers
Where the vegetation is greener than green
Home to the best climate in the world
From you sprout the intellects
Of which this country is proud

Bearing your name wherever they are
Beating their breasts and calling themselves,
‘I am a Western Highlander and nothing will take that away from me’
All the negativities of you come pressing down on me
Crushing all the hopes I have for you
My dreams of you are nearly vanishing
I am not sure if I should hold on to them
Or should I give up and let it go?
How can I give up on you?
When God alone sprouted me out of you
He placed me here for a reason
And according to His divine wisdom
So that I will have a part to play
In times like this.

So let the green, black and white flag fly high
Green for the evergreen vegetation
White for the clouds that always blanket you
And black for the very fertile land on which I stand
As long as the vegetation is green, I am still proud
As long as the cloud is in the sky, I am secured
As long as the ground is still fertile, I am still fed
As long as I am alive, I am a Western Highlander
So heads up, all you intellects
Pull yourselves together
And stand tall for your people,
Your province and for your God.

By Flora Koroka

22nd October 2008