Here among the Simien Mountainsfollowing winter rainsyou become the Blue Nileof sparkling waterfalls and streamsgushing their way to join Lake Tana.Your landscape is blooming its bestwithin sight of snow-capped Ras Dashen -brief time of plenty for Gelada baboon,the elusive ibex and red- coated Simien wolf.
It is here King Lalibela began his questto build and fortify a homeland,a Jewish Holy Land on Ethiopian soil.
Here too was Aksum built -castles, monasteries, rock-hewn churcheswhere from misty, magical dawn to sunset glowyellow-robed pilgrims still follow the scriptureshoping that in these dark caves their skeletal remainsmay one day rest.
Here, a medieval world of incense and parchmentbeeswax candles and deep ritualwhere travellers may thrill tothe spice of adventure in their veinsfoot-slogging dusty trailsclimbing with throbbing legs and heaving cheststo reach destinations that seem mythical yet glorious,returning with stories guaranteedand souls cleansed.
But for a certain generationhere is a land embossed with famine and warbranded in the memory that apocalyptic dawn,splayed out across the worldon TV screens with scenesthat scream into the windshrouded in dust-storms from Hell.
The small bird comes to sit upon her handand listens to her long lamentrecognises her beauty, her gentilityher sorrowfor this is the bird hatched in a thorny nestabove a shrinking pool, fending for herself.
This is Africa.Here we first heard of Danakil and Ogaden- of the hyena-man in that desolate wastelandprotecting weak and sickly children from gruesome fate. Here we saw Berhan rescued by kind handsfrom her living grave, saved by a tear.
And the people of the world cried and prayedand among the sadness sang and gave. Today I try to focus on a different dawnwhere sun rises on a kinder dawn,where all can be free to share a mealof injera with spicy lentils and puréed chick peasperhaps a glass of Harar or sprisin the company of kind and generous peoplewho, having been so close to the bitter ends of earthwould sacrifice anything to save their childrenand endow them with just and lasting peace.
BY LEA KNOWLES
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 1 OCTOBER 2023
