in the twilight of my predissolutionary years, before the lands of africa were mapped by the footsteps of explorers, i learned to sidestep the sun's fierce embrace, a necessity for one as sensitive to its kiss as i. my nocturnal sojourns commenced once more under the starlit skies of this vast continent, where i filled questionnaires of the mind with the knowledge of myriad cultures, languages, and people, their resilience illuminating the dark like countless lanterns guiding a wayward soul home.