MY CRY FOR LOST TIME: A PERSONAL REFLECTION
Like the woman who stands by the road in Kasongo Ye Ye, calling out for her absent love, I stand at the edge of memory, crying for time — not only for the days already gone but for the moments that still trickle away.
Every fleeting second is a husband to my soul, a companion whose departure leaves me longing, wondering, aching for return. I cry not to reclaim what is lost but to cherish and redeem the hours that remain.
THE LAMENT FOR YOUTH: THE FIRST KASONGO
“Kasongo ye ye, mobali na ngai [my husband], Kasongo nga nawe oo, zonga libala ee [come back to the marriage]”
Youth, that radiant Kasongo of early days, left me without farewell. I remember its carefree laughter, its boundless energy, and now, I cry for its return. Youth is the fleeting dawn that brightens before it vanishes into the day of age.
PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION: Youth’s departure teaches that vitality is not measured by years but by spirit. It whispers that we are as young as our dreams, as vibrant as our hope.
THE CRY FOR HEALTH: THE SECOND KASONGO
“Naleli mingi, Kasongo welela ngai ee [I have cried a lot, Kasongo remember me].” Health, my faithful companion, quietly sustained me — until it did not. Its absence leaves me weeping by the road of life, calling out like the woman in the song. Health, like Kasongo, forgets its promises until we are reminded by suffering.
AFRICAN WISDOM:
“A person who takes health for granted must one day bow to its loss.”
THE PLEA FOR LOST WEALTH: THE THIRD KASONGO
“Batunaka ngai, balingi koyeba, Kasongo azali wapi? [They ask me, they want to know, where is Kasongo?]”
When wealth deserts us, the world is quick to ask where it has gone. It is a Kasongo that comes adorned in splendor and departs in shadows. Yet the richest among us are not those who have gold, but those who have peace of mind.
GHANAIAN PROVERB:
“It is not the riches that make a man, but the man who makes riches meaningful.”
THE ACHE FOR LOST FRIENDSHIP: THE FOURTH KASONGO
“Namoni batu nyonso, batambolaka nzela, Kasongo azali te [I see everyone walking, but Kasongo is not there].” Friendship, once the warm embrace of shared moments, is now a vacant place at the table. Like the woman’s longing for Kasongo, I too have stood by the road of memory, watching for companions who have drifted away.
KENYAN PROVERB:
“Friendship is like a thread; when it breaks, it can be mended but always leaves a knot.”
THE SEARCH FOR TIME: THE FINAL KASONGO
“Zonga na ngai, Kasongo nga nawe oo [Come back to me, Kasongo, I am dying].”
Time is the most unfaithful Kasongo, slipping away while we watch. Its departure leaves us aching with regret, but the road ahead remains open. Time does not return — but it still flows forward, waiting for us to shape it.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRUTH:
“We cannot summon yesterday’s Kasongo, but today is a seed that grows with care, and tomorrow is the harvest of what we cherish now.”
CONCLUSION: THE KASONGO OF THE PRESENT
I cry not only for what I have lost but for what I must save. The Kasongo of time may never return, but its echo calls me to act with purpose. Each moment is a chance to live fully, to embrace the beauty that still remains.
FINAL REFLECTION:
“The Kasongo of yesterday sings only in memory, but the Kasongo of now dances in the heart of those who hold time tenderly. Weep if you must, but plant your tears and let your longing bloom into legacy.”
The author is a lecturer and member of Uganda Law Society