But I could not yet define illiteracy!

He came to our country The man from France He greets everyone he sees Symbolizing such with his hands-raised And smile so cheery and awesome He walks from street to street And children follow him follow him because of his colour? One day, I called him for a conversation. Shockingly, he said: “Me no English” And smiled again cheerfully at me. I was dispirited for my desperation I spoke with English language He responded with French Language I wrote my mind on a paper with English He wrote his too on a paper with French, Then I mused as we were looking at the paper I couldn’t read likewise he couldn’t read We’re engaged in a health-given smile With our palms clamped together Like a shackle on a theft hand Now said I in my mind: What is the definition of illiteracy? Who said that Africans were illiterates? I was astonished when a white man Cannot speak English language nor write Is he not an illiterate? Am I not an illiterate of French? We settled our course on laughter But I could not yet define illiteracy!