For Shufai Cardinal Wiyghan Tumi ⁰

You are Wiyghan in Lamso.

You are Welighayn in Mbesa.

You are Visitor in English.

You are Visiteur in French.

Not the empty-handed visitor

Who bores his host family.

Not the visiting spectator

Who sucks like a parasite.

You’re the full-handed visitor

Who brings God’s Good News.

You’re the active participant

Who cooks love and peace

For peace-starved citizens.

You’re the cultural boulanger

Who bakes Christianity & tradition

For the festival of hybridity

You’re the universal sibling

Who shares a brotherhood

And sisterhood in every human

You’re the memorable visitor

Who can never ever leave

Because we’ve screenshot you

In the cameras of our hearts.

Yes, we have your hard photos

Which can rust & decay with time

Yes, we have your digital photos

Which can crash with the Internet

So, while you were busy toiling

For God and for Cameroon,

We secretly filmed you in our hearts

Where you can never ever escape!

Safe journey, Cardinal Tumi! Long live Cardinal Tumi!

What a LOSS for Cameroon and humanity!

Bon voyage, le Cardinal Tumi ! Vive le Cardinal Tumi!

By Nsah Mala