The Legend of Lwanda Magere

A long time ago In the land of the Luo, There lived a might warrior, His name, Lwanda Magere. They say he was of stone, And not of flesh and bone. Because from every battle He got no wounds at all. His mark he did inscribe On the other weaker tribes. And though it sounds impossible, The Luo became invincible. One weaker tribe, the Kipsigis, Wanted Luo dominance to cease. So they called upon their Elders, "Oh Wise Ones, please help us!" The Elders' final solution Was in the form of a vision Of utter, undiluted loveliness, A gift from the Kipsigis. The Luo people accepted And to Lwanda she was wedded. And during their marital bliss, 'tween the two tribes, there was peace. But on the day the peace was shattered, Lwanda had returned bruised and battered. So in order to be treated, He told his wife his secret. The Kipsigis praised their Wise Ones For finding a worthy solution. For the gift the Luo were deceived by, Was a trained Kipsigis spy! In the ensuing war: Kipsigis versus Luo, Lwanda was the hero Till someone speared his shadow. Now that fallen warrior His name, Lwanda Magere, His lifeless flesh and bones Were transformed into stone. The moral of this story, Is clear for all to see. All have an Achilles' heel - And Lwanda's stone is real.This poem is based on a Legend popular among the Luo community of Kenya. Written October 6th, 2001 © on Oct 05 2001 09:11 PM PST, Mildred Achoch    0 • 10