A poem written by Laura Johnson in honor of Peace Corps Lesotho ED ‘13’s Close of Service Conference in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
They say the world’s a stage
And we are but the actors.
The parts we play are set in
motion based on many factors.
Our stage was set in Philly town
On a brisk October day.
Becky called us “family”
We thought- this lady’s ‘cray.’
There we learned some fun tidbits
’bout the culture of Basotho
”Lumelang bo’me le bo’ntate,”
and welcome to Lesotho.
Up in our mountain kingdom home
Our group- ten less than forty
Would have no running water, ‘lectric
That means no fridges, Shorty.
So we called our friends and families,
And prepared for opening night,
When we bused on up to NYC
And boarded our long flight.
As we passed time zones and watched TV
And crossed o’er an equator,
We thought of all we’d left behind,
And what would greet us later.
The language, shit, it sounded hard.
And what places would we see?
And what about those plastic buckets,
They said we’d use to pee?!
Before any opening show
It’s scary in the wings
Before the lights go on out there
You don’t know anything!
Landing in Maseru now,
Confused and all a’sotter.
They sorted us in village groups
Like the hat in Harry Potter.
Mabekenyane, Berea, Makola
For two months, we’d rest our heads
And get adjusted to new foods and water
… and diarrhea meds.
Learning the lines is never as fun
As givin’ it your best,
So some might say that PST
Seemed longer than the rest.
But true or not, it must be said
That PST was notable.
For here we learned the characters
All of whom are quotable.
Of course we must thank Peace Corps staff
Who helped us move along.
And told us not to spend our stipends
On only women, wine, and song.
And through the ups and downs
We mastered living hardy.
We even found the chance to bond
At murder mystery parties.
Before we knew it, December came
The start of two full years
That we would spend spread out Lesotho
As Peace Corps Volunteers.
Saying goodbye again so soon
To families and friends
Meant celebrating new beginnings
While the first scene came to ends.
Then off in separate districts
Our service really started
Each of us has lived a life
Our own since we last parted.
Our struggles, triumphs, lessons learned
Are similar but varied
Heading home means new adventures
(And no more water to be carried!)
But the parts we’ve played will stay with us
New language, stories, dishes
We’ve passed through many obstacles
But set forth with precious wishes…
To make the world a better place
To use the blessings we’ve been given.
No one but the people here
Will understand ‘bout Peace Corps livin’.
Thank you for the times you helped
Through laughs or when we teared
Or braved the perils of taxi rides
For parties that got weird.
*** We’ll add a few new verses,
(With a bit less preparation.
But please try not to judge us-
Blame the swift evacuation.)
Close of Service Conferences
Should be a bit bodacious,
But getting one like ED ‘13’s?
That’s downright ostentatious!
The EAP called us from the land,
Of propserity, peace, and rain.
Who’d have guess in wildest dreams
We’d COS in Bloemfontein?
It’s been a tough few days we know,
But it hasn’t gotten sinister.
If you want to know what’s going on,
Ask the army or Prime Minister.
So while we wait for updates,
And while Kamoli is on the run,
Let’s enjoy this All Vol/COS
And basking in the sun.***
As our service finishes
Our curtain, it will close
Let’s part as Peace Corps family
Who together conquered foes.
The final bow is a time to cherish
As the lights dim from above
Hard work that taught us countless things
This toughest job we’ll ever love.
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