They say to never look a lion in the eye. Because encased in the amber stare of this great beast, are the souls of all the prey that it has feasted on. Locked behind its piercing stare they sit begging to be let out and to no avail. They say never to look a lion in the eye, because before you realize what you are looking into, it is too late, and you too are imprisoned behind the cool, amber stare of the King of Beasts. 

There is an extraordinary bond that is developed between a mother and her child, and in Africa that bond is even more profound as for the first few years of most children's lives they spend either tied to their mothers back as is done in Zimbabwe, perched on their mothers shoulders as in Egypt, or slung on their mother's hips as seen here in Mozambique. 

The Bend over Bazaar - Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Like most things in Zimbabwe nothing is used for its original purpose. The highly renowned Bend Over Bazaar is Bulawayo's flea market, and if you subject yourself to scratching through huge piles of second hand clothes, and can put up with the ever constant shouts that are aimed at selling ones product, you can come across many a bargain for a very good price. The clothes that are on sale are from overseas companies that supply poor or developing countries with aid, but like the typical businessmen that Zimbabweans are, the clothes are not used to clothe their families, instead to make a few easy dollars.  

Atop a hill,

Five boys with sun bleached hair,

Stare out

Towards the valley below them.

Each boy has

One desire

A desire that burns so fiercely,

It controls his spirit,

It is the commander of his soul.

Atop a hill,

Five boys with sun bleached hair,

Face the wide open skies

And stare towards the setting sun,

With hearts throbbing for adventure.

Souls captivated by thrill.

A taste of life still yearning.

Atop a hill,

Five boys with sun bleached hair,

Turn their faces towards the

Burnt red of the setting sun,

Excitement glittering in their eyes,

Hearts beating with adventure,

Veins full of adrenaline.

They challenge the wilderness that surrounds them,

Nature stares back from every angle.

The panoramic

Beauty.

Untouched,

Unsoiled by human hands.

Atop a hill

Five boys with sunbleached hair,

Turn their faces towards the wilderness

Turn their hearts towards adventure

Turn their eyes towards the night sky

And turn their souls toward eternity.