God has given us a beautiful country with amazing flora and fauna that we need to appreciate and that is what writer Noorah Deen does in her book, If Dreams Come True. Deen feels that she has "given Africa the glorious status it deserves", especially when it comes to Botswana, which she appreciates greatly for the "simple and peaceful life it offers". The poet is clearly in love with the country as shown in her poem, Botswana in which she says in part:
Botswana, Sweet Botswana
A dream come true
A reason to believe in love.
No luxurious sky-scrappers
Not much entertainment around
But peace and friendliness of its people
compensate all that.
Botswana, my second home
My quiet refuge
Fused in serene wilderness.
In her poems, Deen sounds like somebody who has travelled the length and breath of the country, appreciating its enchanting beauty in the process. Highlighting the peace that can also be felt in the wilderness she wrote:
Peace blended into nature
The surroundings looked more exotic
than ever
Healing the pain slowly but surely
Footsteps go lightly and confidently
Throughout the road of Botswana
Wishing happiness to each and every
Batswana people.
Other Botswana -related poems that readers might want to read include, Tsodilo, Mountains of the Gods, Mavis and Masego and Here Comes the Rain. There are 30 poems in the book altogether and they talk about a wide range of issues.
nterestingly the book contains some photos that capture scenes around the country and other parts of the world. Some of the pictures include one of a lion sitting forlornly behind a fence (was it pictured in captivity?), an elephant grazing, two adults ostriches with their kids, a group of wild birds foraging for food on the ground and so on.
While Deen is not a powerful writer technically, her writing style easily helps the readers "visualise the scenes in a tangible manner" as she suggests on the back cover. This is mostcertainly a brave attempt by the writer who calls Botswana her second home given that the atmosphere in the country hardly favours the literary arts. If Dreams Come True, which was printed on acid-free paper, was first published in October, 2009 by Author House in the United Kingdom (UK). It is available at the Botswana Book Centre.
