Take Me To Takamaka! Poem by Doreenda Nikoi Kotei

Take me to Takamaka!
Far in the Indian Ocean,
On the islands named after Jean Moreau de Séchelles,
In the land of continuous summer,
With its capital and largest city Victoria,
Where the Takamaka tree grows in large numbers for medicinal and cultural purposes,
And has its national identity resembling the rainbow.

Take me to Takamaka!
Where I can see a fusion of the African, Asian and the European descents,
And listen to the Croele, English and French languages,
And enjoy festivals rooted in both African and European cultures,
And tunefully play the tambourine and Tam-Tam from dawn to dusk,
And graciously sway my hips and shuffle my feet with the Sega and Moutya dancers at the beach bazaar.

Take me to Takamaka!
Where I can drink freshly cut coconut juice,
And eat breadfruits mangoes and the kordonnyen fish to my fill,
And enjoy shark chutney dishes garnished with fresh flowers,
And have saffron rice accompanied with chicken or seafood,
And have ladob for dessert.

Take me to Takamaka!
The land hosting the largest seabirds colonies in the world,
Where I can find the giant aldabra tortoise and the rare black parrot,
And the fascinating love nut, Coco Der Mer producing the world's heaviest seed,
With its female tree having a beautiful rump like a curvy woman's backside,
And its male resembling an erotic male organ!

Take me to Takamaka!
Where I can enjoy stunning, gleaming, captivating and clean beaches with wide bays,
And see endless stretches of unmatched sand as white as snow,
With lots of amazing and beautiful things to see while snorkeling,
With spellbound and enchanting resorts, restaurants and hotels,
Where I can sit back relax and sip my Takamaka Rum,
The Spirit of Seychelles!

DOREENDA NIKOI KOTEI