Apart from blogs, Freddy writes weekly columns in Tanzania.
His songs and poems have been showcased in two albums and several anthologies.

The rat

The rat that is a pest
The rat that irritates
The scourge that ate my meat

I chased it off my flat
And found a hole as large as my hat
The pest...

The rat that ate my food and broke my heart
The fool that stole your chips
And ran to the woods

THE RAPE OF BABIES

She leaves the room sobbing
I know why

To those who helped the war against Apartheid in the 1980's
Life was given a new meaning, a purpose

While South Africans sang, cried, panted, raved
Matched and demonstrated
The whole world helped kick the Apartheid lie

Now 2002 - we hear of "black on black" violence
Of men raping two weeks old babies to "cure" AIDS
Life's meaning is kicked in the butt...
...ox

THE FLY

came in to feed on our leftovers
what you call dirty, rubbish, junk, garbage
is someone's roughage

your joy could be my
pain, pain, pain; my pain could be your wasted time, waste of time...

and so!
well fed and satiated
the fly wants to leave our beautiful kitchen
our home is suddenly his prison
as he yells and buzzes and flies ; around the white bulb

your sanctuary could be my agony, agony , agony
and your agony could be my wasted time, wasted time, waste of time

and so!
we chased her out! while the dark cold outside waited
we limbered in the headache she was creating
get out, out, we shouted

the three of us scuffling struggling with brooms
towels, newspapers to kick the menace out! Out! OUT !

...and hours later
in the kitchen sink,
floating in a glass of unfinished wine
is the drenched visitor

PAPERS! PAPERS! PAPERS!

PAPERS! PAPERS! PAPERS!

To be stamped to be stamped to be stamped
To be signed to be signed to be signed


PAPERS EVERYWHERE!
PAPERS EVERYWHERE!

Come back tomorrow
Show me your sorrow

am sorry the boss is out
am sorry your email has been lost
am sorry for the spam and too much information
am sorry for the mental jam and well, the manager is in a meeting
am sorry the council has to see your papers
for consideration/ approval/ clearance/for signature/ for your future

PAPERS! PAPERS! PAPERS!

PAPERS EVERYWHERE!
PAPERS EVERYWHERE!
Come back tomorrow
Show me your sorrow

Apologies for delays in your payment
Apologies for rising prices
Apologies for rising taxes
Apologies for the junk mail at your door steps
Did you get your rent bill?
Have you got our contract and email?


PAPERS! PAPERS! PAPERS!
PAPERS EVERYWHERE!
PAPERS EVERYWHERE!

PAPERS! PAPERS ! PAPERS!

MIRIAM - THE GIRL FROM DARFUR

Thirteen year old Miriam can barely walk
Her voice is weak
Her inaudible sentences are short and broken
Just like her hymen.

Who are these crude men?
(stupid question
because it is always men who)
flaunt and threaten
with a gun
arms dished for fun
by the powers above
that rule the cock , barrel and burn.

(Call them Janjaweed, Sudanese militia, Arabic, Tribesmen, rapists whatever you want ; truth is Miriam's childhood and girlhood has been violently ruptured).

BALLAD OF A NOISY NEIGHBOUR

He wasn't an aggressive chap
For fists, licks and kicks are dark, blunt. Metal
And steel weren't his mates, no sir.
When the police knocked and rapped at the door that was shut tight
Alcohol and cocaine found in his gut
He had died in his sleep


We asked how; marvelled, wondered why
The morning dew so unkind yet fresh and nigh
Eyes watching; questions thrown like unpaid debts
Arrows, mortgages, flash lights
He was a loner wasn't he? Minded his business
Played loud music during nights
Someone said he had a daughter at a town in the distance
And a wife, the story unfolded

AT A DIPLOMAT'S DINNER

One thing I like about Tanzanians is that they are very very friendly. I mean, I have been working in several African countries.

DRINK AMSTEL BEER! GULP DOWN THIS IMPORTED STUFF! YOU NEVER GET IT IN YOUR SHOPS DO YOU? CHEERS!

How do you say cheers in S-u-a-h-e-l-I? I mean to your health. Afya? It sounds like fire. Sua-hel. How do you say that one? Kiswahili...ummh. Very musical language.

DRINK HEINEKANN! CHEERS! A- FIRE! YOU LOCAL GUYS CAN NEVER AFFORD THESE BEERS CAN YOU?

Where can I get typical Tanzanian music? You cannot buy East African records here...it is strange I get the best African music in Europe.

EAT CASHEW NUTS ! COME ON! EAT!

How do Tanzanians survive with such expensive things? Their salaries are so little.

DO YOU SMOKE? HAVE A MALBORO!

How come Tanzanian women dress so expensively? Their salaries are lower than the men's! Where do they get all these expensive clothes? I mean my wife is astonished that she cannot dress like that although we are little bit above...you people...you know what I mean.

YOU KNOW CHOPIN? SHOULD I PUT ON A CHOPIN FOR THEM DARLING?

How come you say Africans only like rhythmical and fast music. I read somewhere that Nkrumah of Ghana liked European classical music. It is a lie? I read that. I am sure I can show you the book. But Kwame Nkrumah was a great African, right?

LIKE SOME CHOCOLATES?

Have you read " A bend in the river" and " North of South" by the Naipaul brothers? Why don't Tanzanians like these books? After all I find Tanzanian authors lacking in humour. Hey are so serious. I have read what do you call him? Akoro...Oh Yes! Agoro Anduru. He just talks about his customs and marriage and such things all the time. I should find humour in the Kiswahili novels? Well my ..Sua-heli...sorry...Ki-sua-heli...is still terrible. How long I have been here ? Almost three years now. I can only read the English ones. Sorry.

EAT MORE CHOCOLATES! WANT ANOTHER AMSTEL?

Next summer we are going to Ngorongoro. At last I can pronounce this one. Mike, Jane and my other colleagues cant still say Ngorongoro and they have been here longer than I have. You don't have summer? I mean August...we want to see the animals. Last week we went to Mikumi. The birds are so lovely. We saw this beautiful lioness lying down. Legs curled upwards. Loving the sun's massage. Haw! Haw! Haw! We took pictures.
Haw !Haw! Haw!

WE HAVE SLIDES OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO! LIKE TO HAVE A LOOK? DARLING YOU TOOK THEM DIDN'T YOU? EMMA IS BRILLIANT WITH THE CAMERA! WANT TO HAVE A LOOK?

Tell me why do Tanzanians kill snakes? I mean they are so lovely. Do you want to see a video we made of snakes. It is the brilliant work of Emma. Darling you superb. You think the snakes don't bite us because we are always in cars? We go trekking sometimes. Where? We went to Usambara mountains and the Luguru Hills. Snakes are very intelligent. They only bite you if you provoke them. Because we wear solid shoes? That's ridiculous. The pretty creatures are so peaceful!

WANT A LIFT HOME?