Happy World Youth Day 2016 Poem by Francois GUIMATSIA

To the youths of Cameroon on this day,
My plain questions and worries, if I may.

Yours is a heavy but stimulating legacy.
Are you ready to right the past mishaps,
Or to avoid falling in the same traps?
Can you root out that self-depreciation,
Which keeps us in mental extroversion?
You have to dehorn fierce buffaloes,
And get rid of blood-sucking mosquitoes;
and also give the world strong evidence
That you have a lot of self-confidence.

Yours is a thankless but exalting mission.
Will you forgive your earlier leaders,
Who by some thoughtless maneuvers,
Have jeopardized the country's economy?
Will you emulate our heroes of last century,
Who opposed colonial dehumanization,
And fought and won a war of liberation?
They bequeathed you a sovereign country,
Thus fulfilling their own historical duty.

Many are prerequisites to your success.
To fly high and achieve great things,
You need hard work and strong wings.
Well-trained heads and a sound vision
Are crucial to success in globalization.
Cultural roots to balance your identity,
And high ability to dope your ingenuity,
Will hasten your country's development,
Despite a competitive world environment.

To the youths of Cameroon, my plea today:
Just celebrate and keep my worries at bay.