Which Mali shall I tell you about?
The one of the almost indescribable peace
and beauty
and pride
and kindness
and determination against all odds.

Or shall I tell you
about the odds.
The poverty, the hunger, the illness.
The politics, the currency devaluation, the pressures from inside and out.
How will I get the balance right?
and not leave you without the joy?

The odds can be seen from the air,
from the quick read
or a quick trip.
But the peace and beauty
take stopping and
opening your eyes and
perhaps changing the lenses on your vision
on what you think you see.
Is that a pile of dirt or is it clay?
What do you see in this picture?

Do you want the struggle or the endurance.
the poverty or the spirit?
the disorganization or the flexibility?

Which song of Mali shall I sing for you?
Which story of Mali shall I tell you?
What picture of Mali shall I paint for you?
What will you listen to?
What can you see?
What can I describe?