Botanic Gardens

For Claudia

Fifty (or so) school children walk by and
smile and
wave

Fifty (or so) school children come back and
fight over being in a photo with
one “umlungu”* on a bench –

Out comes a camera.
I sit awkwardly.
then I put (my bags between my legs and) an arm around a girl who giggles shyly,
there is a roar from the crowd!
and click.

Something funny is going on here;

I just hope the joke’s on me.

___

umlungu (usually) derogatory term for a white person