THE MORNING AFTER Right now, I know of a girl She’s in her mid-twenties She’s about to acquire a new touchscreen Which is only a “touch” away Flights and trips she secures by trippin’ Settling for false companionship just to quench her thirst for the finest royal linen. Tossed in bed like a robot for the cheque For every zero added, he rips the buttons of her blouse and loosens the hooks of her dress more ruthlessly than a dog left alone in a butchery. Shifting beds for the Benz Charges without cuddles or candles Mouths she waters just to swim across continent oceans A non-believer who but religiously screams ‘Oh God’ so many times Drenched in loneliness perhaps but driven by monopoly No longer in pursuit of true affection but net worth projection After all is said and done and done and done again, she does best to conceal her gratified desires. After all, it was a short lived bliss In her quest for extreme free wealth, like swallowed bait, her flesh becomes slave to seasonal paid passions Sleeping with dignitaries, she loses her dignity Talk of unrequited love, but then again romance, huh, far fetched Led on by fleeting pleasures, she’s laid on purpose But time heals all wounds, and sometimes opens new ones
In time, with clenched fists, she will realize that they feasted on her gifts, preyed on her innocence, and demeaned her very being. After all was said and done and done and done yet again, she was just a paid pleasure or maybe more professionally an escort She asked for it anyway
IF I HAD A SON HE WOULD HAVE TO HEAR THIS Use your muscle to hustle Why hustle hard? Ask Ace Hood When you fail, change your methods not your belief in God I hope that every time you look at your palms, you will see gifted hands There is no effort without error So fret not when the dust mixes with sweat, blood and tears only to end up with sweating eyes and a running nose Call that enthusiasm mixed with devotion and persistence Then repeat till you achieve what you want Let the marks on your shoulder be evidence of your hard work Not excuses for ‘it wasn’t me’ like Shaggy The only one who comes before your mother is God I would say your father but ‘amekaliwa chapati kama Sautisol’ Call your mother often It is the quickest way to earn a Storobonus Always appreciate your roots Borrow a leaf from the trees Trees change leaves not roots Want to learn to make decisions in a split second? play basketball Remember to seek the counsel of the Lord in all you do If you ever want to take anything, Take the family name Give it to a woman you barely know Or else Take this literary piece, keep a printout for future reference If you want to know how your future wife looks like, Read Proverbs 31 It is the same for everything she will not be If you want to explore the depths of true love, Read the scriptures It is the same for affection laced with deceit When you find the true laugh of your life, Do not become Hitler to hit her Do not even hit on her Instead be Romeo
Secretly dunk an Oreo, in her milk But be ready to give up having your way once I meet that radiant maiden Ultimately I hope you marry the woman you need not the one you want If you never learn to differentiate colors, at least master the color of love And if you want to start an argument, start with an apology while maintaining eye contact Your mother cannot even spend a micro fraction of your father’s wealth So that means we are both successful and you are the lucky heir But I hope you become richer than that Rich in wisdom, integrity, leadership, commitment to His cause, faith and LOVE Just like your forefathers, Solomon, Noah, Daniel, David, Joseph, Paul, Gideon, Timothy, Abraham, Peter, Moses, Samuel and the disciples Carve not yourself a heart of stone But a heart of gold To heal heartbreaks and heartaches Son, positivity is the opposite of negativity which is the key to happiness To make ends meet you must get ready to button your collar buttons rock that suit and tie for that white collar job Or else Wake up at 4.00 a.m Work till midnight If you ever reflect on how far you have come Remember how you gave up diapers Yet religiously held onto your pacifiers If your brother is in trouble so are you So listen to your heart pump blood Master the vibration Copy to your soul Son, there is discomfort in the truth Every day I hear sentiments being expressed suggesting that there are no good men left in the world If it is any consolation hear this I your mother promise that my son will be everything he is meant to be as God wills Being good will just be one of them to say the least Did I mention tall, handsome and rich?
WHERE THEY WILL MEET She went out looking for the hideout where all the good boys are hiding in the hope that she would find her ideal man She was tired of dating men who did nothing but drain her energy. So in the rare possibility that he existed she decided to go find her prince charming. In her journey she encountered con artists, gamblers and promiscuous liars all who lusted for her piece of heaven Eventually, she gave up looking for that hideout her prince charming was not hiding she needed to stop looking for the right person instead be the right person She remembered the boy in high school whom the teacher always mocked for building castles in the air he must be rich by now, she thought to herself the same boy they nicknamed the great brain of the 21st century because his knowledge was deeper than football scores betting She knows her man will not need to undress her with his eyes to catch a glimpse of her beauty for he will be inspired by the beauty of her shadow Neither will he address her with mean words
So she holds unswervingly to the hope that one day they will indeed meet, probably in twilight where loyalty meets faithfulness where invention meets its mother where character meets integrity where gift meets talent where ethics meet morals where beauty meets modesty for it is her weapon of elegance where God’s presence fills the atmosphere, lithosphere, the hydrosphere and stratosphere that is where they will meet.
MAKE UP FOR THE SOUL Makeup. Smoky eyes. Mascara Eyes on fleek. Lips fashioned Dressed in gold ornaments Fragrant ointment Wearing a ring of adornment She’s today’s cover girl LET’S GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING Makeup fake out. Smoky eyes. Massacred Mascara Cannot even raise eyebrows Eyes on fleek. Vision blurred The cause of obscured perceptions Lips fashioned with flirty rhymes dressed in gold ornaments and fragrant ointment stripped of good deeds pure raiment of needlework Belly ring. Nose ring. Index finger ring Almost Saturn ring She’s today’s cover girl covered with gobs of makeup Face lifted. Belly flattened Hips fattened. Flattering curves Body flatlined From lips to hips From head to toe Constructions Naturally artificial yet extremely superficial Looks so glam. Dreams rather gloomy I believe in physical beauty but also in virtue and also in cliché sayings like beauty is more than skin deep true beauty comes from the heart True inner self. A gentle and quiet spirit A symbol of modesty The greatest value in God’s sight
Your body? A temple of the Lord So forget earthly benchmarks of beauty standards But seek to be cleansed and sanctified by the word Wash off your makeup before you sleep but don’t forget one day you will sleep forever Conceal your freckles and blemishes That concealer can’t conceal fears and flaws Apply this and that tube of foundation You are gradually eroding your face Just focus on laying a firm foundation Unclog the pores on your skin Sister, can you even unclog a kitchen sink? By all means apply makeup But also bring out a piece of heaven Bleach your skin of insecurities, not color Next time you wear perfume, Spray some confidence too Wrinkles? Thanks to Alex Morritt Now we know they are just lines of distinction and marks of maturity There are no ugly women, only lazy ones Helena Rubinstein The beauty of a woman is not in her facial makeup but in the kindness of her soul Debasish Mridha Beauty is about perception Do not do it from a position of correction Kevyn Aucoin
CHOICES WE MAKE Intelligence without character Words without actions Success without morals Religion without principle Influence without inspiration Welcome to the new world order where Truth is bitter Lies no longer sugar-coated They now sugared Girls no longer blush their dimples filled with blush We blow our minds with money-blown pleasures Sit in the company of the evil one Cherish the blemish Credit deceit We guilty of stealing French kisses Eating the forbidden fruit Burning bridges And planting seeds in other people’s gardens Welcome to the age of information where Chatting is the 21st century freedom of speech Yet communication incarcerated Because pride too is ever online So a girl recently updated her status ‘He melts my heart’ A couple of weeks later he was still melting her heart into a flood of tears and fears of an unplanned pregnancy Welcome to the paradise warzone where security is beefed up over a plate barbecued beef they call luncheon leaders, CEOs, directors take voyage on expensive vacations
from their vocation at the expense of the unemployed ever on vacation paying attention to opportunities for their vocation so they can pay bills and believe me vacation is not even one of them peace talks held at a gala night of dance and party in the capital First thing morning, the news too hard to bear. First thing morning, never my cup of tea not with all the heartbreaking breaking headlines Intolerance tolerated through torture Reckless tendencies accredited Differences give rise to indifference Getaways more rampant than get together(s) More gateways to hideaways that give way to dance aways that give away innocent souls Is it that we care less? Or are we intentionally careless? Or perhaps too careful to uphold virtue We keep leaving in pieces Instead of living in peace Most of our experiences marred by controversies moments spent with each other mere monuments of grief Because we always busy on our screens making glass case memories But see busy does not always mean productive and progressive The same way brother and sister does not mean brotherhood and sisterhood It is not enough to talk about this It is not even enough to write about it
The world needs more of people who walk the talk and listen to what others are not saying Read lips not only kiss The world needs more of women who work more than twerk men who work more than talk and people who give more than take The world has a lot of vacancies for services dedicated towards uplifting humanity with dignity, true compassion and useful deeds One of the prime reasons for our existence is to perform random acts of kindness People really crave to feel safe and secure We all possess different beliefs, dreams faiths, capabilities and yearnings But it should be a focal point for change and togetherness The idea is not only to be one But to be united in our differences May the morgue attendant smile with the midwife The night owl and the early bird sing a symphony light is without darkness darkness is without light But during the night, stars shine And during the day, shadows form So let us find ways to complement each other Make a choice to restore faith in humanity
NOW I KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NYS AND EUROBOND Dear fellow electorate This is my observation We are experiencing a great depression Due to this recession A result of these politician’s transgressions Development in this country, an illusion Sons and daughters of the soil Now I know the difference between NYS and Eurobond If you are good in math it is 502 5+0+2 is 7 which is what each newborn mathematically owes China Coincidence? First it was, ‘You should know people’ Now it is, ‘I do not know you, I have never met you, I have only seen you once on TV’ At the colonial headquarters, 791,289,7 just numbers But at the feet of the ruling class Those who know the true taste of salt because it’s the only item which does not seem to change price during inflation, Another shadow cast Trousers torn from all the deeper digging The real difference between NYS and Eurobond honorable ladies and gentlemen is the grand billions which these congressmen and women keep holding on to at the expense of That child in the street with an unheard of lyrical talent The homeless man with a dozen mouths to shelter from hunger at ‘home’ The unemployed graduate memorizing answers for an entry level position which warrants a decade’s experience, ‘Where do you want to be in five years?’ when he cannot even figure out where he will be in a week. The pregnant single mother whose only familiar longest distance, is from hand to mouth The underpaid night guard guarding property he cannot afford The opportunity cost of 40 million Kenyans living in a country with more thieves in public office than in prison The difference between NYS and Eurobond is the same
That loot Mheshimiwa, is the root of all evil Apparently, you now fear for your life when you are holding on to the very thing that brings fear into our lives every single day Fear of pushing us further down the food chain In your gluttonous quest for managing the supply chain Consequently sabotaging the value chain We see how you keep shifting blame quicker than a chameleon’s appetite for color Nothing but a bunch of gloriously corrupt officials parading in public defying every the law of the land Blatant disregard for commitment to service, integrity and transparency Whatever you do, may it be known to you that we will no longer feed on deception We dream of a public office devoid of vultures And that which resonates with core values
MUNGU AMEUMBA KAYAMBA His selfies, her screensaver forever engraved in her wildest images a woman could form of a man But after that one long night stand She stood him up once too often She, emotionally broke He, emotionally broken He broke up with her He tore the stand-up comedy tickets He stood alone all night in a corner His mind motionless His tears drove him to the mic stand the crowd stood erect gave him a standing ovation Now he is the screensaver On every screen that she dares to touch screenshots of billboards where he features, trending on every network She turns on the radio he is all over the radio voicing promos he’s a voice over artist when he is not performing covers for radio head Or mirror on the wall partly because he sees his reflections in multiples Or what doesn’t kill you doesn’t make you stronger, it chokes the life out of you bit by bit he’s back to his salad days transforming scars to stars More than shooting stars he is the shooting star From Facebook cover photo To cover model in a series of fortnights His rehearsals his hustle he’s clothed in success See she blew kisses, she was eyeing the prize See he blows minds, he earns Nobel Prizes Mungu ameumba Kayamba
TODAY I WILL Today I choose to stop running Running away from responsibilities Perform small tasks in a noble way Contribute ideas without seeking to own them So much more than just let them change the world Make a difference without making headlines Today I choose to hang out with that child in the streets who was once a victim of drive by shooting Allow her to inspire me with her unique gifts Watch her as she zealously squeezes poetic justice out of her throat A manifestation of her everyday thoughts So she goes ‘Give more hugs than shrugs’ ‘want more hugs than drugs’ I will take breakfast with the night guard Place flowers at my neighbor’s doorstep when she is sleeping Sneak into my bosses’ office and before covering my tracks, leave a portrait of us smiling together over a cup of coffee Today I want to awaken my wanderlust Indulge in the naturally healing wonders of mother nature Marvel at the earthy treasures bestowed upon us Watch as the moonlight falls Wake up to the smell of possibility Soak in the glistening drops of morning dew And feel the morning glory uplift my spirits Today I want to stop and talk to a stranger Tell them how outrageously gorgeous they appear Better yet gather a few more Converge our spiritual and physical beings So we can harmoniously chant heavenly symphonies Just get together for no reason at all
Today I want the world to trace my steps Appreciate the people who gave me a voice Not forgetting the mothers who intercede for me Today, I will visit that prisoner convicted of murder I realize I am no different Countless times we kill humanity with careless talk ‘You cannot make it’ Today I choose to wear a different gear Become a better entrepreneur be a game changer a world changer Draw inspiration from the blank pages of a book Today I want to take my eyes off my blackberry so I can see that homeless man who desperately needs a berry a berry away from being buried Take him to the garden endowed with raspberries and strawberries bursting with flavor Today I will not sympathize or empathize I will complain about nothing Instead ignite hope, inspire faith For in being compassionate, we must also be solution seekers So I will team up just to look for a rose between the rock and a hard place Today I will help the help Wash her clothes Get to know her favorite music lullaby Dance till we shatter the earth’s crust Today I choose to tell my truth Outpour my thoughts on an unconventional topic Spend time thinking about nothing For example, how humanity could draw lessons from crazy traffic Ever been thrilled at how vehicles ‘force’ other vehicles to stay together for hours? Perhaps humanity should do the same even if for a split second Today I choose not to be self-serving Walk away from self-gratification Seek Truth in the Word Call on Christ, recollect, flee temptation
Offer myself as a living sacrifice Seek God’s will for it transcends my own will Worship Him wholeheartedly Then tattoo Romans 12:2 all over my heart
DEAR LIGHT OF MY LIFE My love if I ever type my love for you and I cannot go beyond 140 characters that will just be an abbreviation Not my character You are my drug And hear me when I say I will quit the heroine If only to be your heroine And you my hero I will make sure you know all the beautiful meanings of slow motion, between and inside Because between us time will race in slow motion Love will taste like spiced wine And inside my soul, You will see the seventh heaven So imagine me Better yet imagine God whispering to your ears That you and I are meant to wake up every day To each other’s morning breath And to morning dew And everything in between With you, I will travel places And through phases Touch each other’s faces Your cheekbones against my rosy cheeks Our history will be a long journey Filled with memories so warm When I cry, do not comfort me I will not hold back my tears For they will be the epitome of Hannah’s weeping Your fortress in prayer, fasting and thanksgiving And you my shining armor straight form heaven
Together we will hold Valentine’s Day captive Then seek refuge in each other’s arms and thoughts And every time you play that Spanish guitar I will hum that Spanish lullaby It will just be revenge For stealing French kisses As I was preparing us some French fries
WHAT PEOTRY MEANS TO ME Whether actual or factual Spoken or printed Online or offline Poetry for me is a shift in perspective from the familiar Intimacy with words Deep affection with phenomena A quest to maintain or challenge the status quo Communicating by evoking emotions Speaking volumes and lengths The silence The prejudice Finding solace in metaphors and imagery Some fashioned Hip pop right there Taking the ordinary out of the unique Telling untold stories
9 TIMES OUT OF 10 9 Times Out Of 10 There is a student who just graduated see he’s been given powers to read yet feels so powerless his grandfather refuses to let go of the grand director’s position see he has a job spends his time looking for a job so, he can shift from paying attention to paying bills
9 Times Out of 10 the departed, resting in peace the living, resting in pieces politicians, resting in power because they, seeking to be audible while we, seeking that which is edible
9 Times Out of 10 there is someone pointing fingers another pointing a gun at someone both in the wrong direction
DOES THIS POEM MAKE SENSE? Our handwriting is the same I can prove it let’s all type something in Font 12 Times New Roman then take screenshots Whether rich or poor you cannot hire a guard to guard your heart against a heartbreak neither a nurse to nurse a heartbreak they don’t train doctors to treat heartbreaks if it’s any consolation, they treat heart attacks Artists cannot carve smiles They told me to swallow my pride and I asked them, before or after meals? See I am here taking a cocktail of panic and fear, intoxicating myself with negative thoughts They say, When you are happy, you enjoy the music When you are sad, you understand the lyrics When it gives you an adrenaline rush, it must be a fire brigade, police or an ambulance siren See even lies have become music to our ears The album titled corruption and impunity This must be gravity, because it is pulling us down
IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME I often turn my clock backwards So that means I can magically turn back time too in my dreams If I could travel back in time, I would go back to the day I cried till I emptied the tissue box Swearing with a gothic peppered face that better days are coming which are Saturday and Sunday There’s no breakdown a dance party cannot fix Well except a heartbreak Like Sarah Kays daughter, I would go back to the burning house To rescue the boy who lost everything in the fire Or else find the boy who lit the fire in the first place to see if I can change him I would go back to that night out Eat the same caffeinated French fries And yes, the french kisses would take me further down memory lane To the day our eyes met Cherry blossoms I would revisit the day I went shopping with my best team Me, myself and I With no coin to my name Donned Madonna dresses with my eyes Wore pain like stilettos And accessorized my spirit with rap music like ‘I wanna be a millionaire so freakin bad’ I would go back to cherish the silence Because it is in my solitude that I gained the courage to become this type of woman The type who plays hard, prays daily and passionately weaves words like a thread My hobby my heartbeat I would go back to those days Just to marvel at the pursuit for physical purity Yet still be eager to travel a little further back just to experience a few of the detours Misfits will be misfits I would go back if only to reminisce every miniscule script of my theatrical past phenomena Relive all the mistakes made in my prime youth Especially going into unfamiliar territories for the thrill of it
I would not change anything After all the good comes with the bad Keep memories for future reference Not to ignite but also feed for my future Instagram just in case But there are a few things I would change Remind myself not to forget that home is here in the heart Nourish the soul with punk rock But most importantly keep in mind that life is an uncertain race An unprecedented storm But also a sweet symphony of sugar, spice and everything nice If I could go back in time, I would go back to my Google history Search for Pablo Neruda who once said, Perhaps the earth can teach us, as when everything seems dead, and later proves to be alive
BITTER PILL She lied to her forever then lay with her now it was a no strings attached it takes two to tango but now she is tangled alone with benefits from that friendship now and forever He aligned his lips with her hips She rode without a helmet She missed the deadline, P2 and hit the headlines, P3 He is deadbeat She is dead broke Now she opens more cans of Red bull than she opens her heart She is ever drunk Stealin love with the present Still in love with the future Still drunk in love In love with the drink She has become more medicated than educated Her temple is a slaughterhouse Her flesh too familiar with the blade Dissections, insertions, penetrations deeper and deeper
TIMES LIKE THESE Sometimes I am torn between sit up straight and stand tall Other times I make a casual commitment to work hard those are the times my sweat tastes like giving up Don’t get it twisted though because I love my ambitions, wild and anything wild is untamed Success tags along pain and hurt Sometimes, the more the pain the juicier it gets This pain must be fertile for it is the soil my growth stems from Again, do not get it twisted, laziness beckons way more than working does To be brutally honest, human species often fall prey to the latter and by humans, I mean me too the yearn for cheer sometimes overrides the love to serve other people I can tell you from experience One moment, I am intellectually artistic The other I am a slave to my own emotional roller coaster Constantly debating within myself whether it is really worth it Why? Because man or woman (hey gender equality) cannot live on bread alone neither on kind words that complement the words sprouting out of our throats The truth is people want to make a difference with their passion But also be able to afford a nice holiday and make love while at it Possessing a quiet desire to make a living out of your passion makes you nothing but human
MY MP AND I My MP and I, are both trying to make ends meet except that I wish all my end month dates would fall in the same month 12 times a year See, he is very simba-thetic And gives microscopic attention To matters of national importance. My MP and I have beef Except that his is on a plate, and mine is a lump in my throat A time bomb waiting to explode Recycled hopes Mutilated promises I cannot even burn the midnight oil Because his corrupt ways caused the oil to explode See he was trying to cover up Your side is my main You can afford paradise Because you are a parasite My Mp and I are both famous All stations are talking about him Well except the police station And the railway station Because he drives a private car All lenders are talking about me Because I appear in their system as a loyal defaulter My MP and I both demo He demolishes I demonstrate and in my ‘overcoming the odds and balancing the evens, he calls it piped dreams so he can find a way to use my blood for his gravy
I BROKE OFF MY ENGAGEMENT So he expects me to believe that I won Merely because he accessorized my finger It’s been five years since he went down on one knee the beginning of me going down on both knees begging him to stop Since then I became an object The best description of his middle finger Which he slides in other girls sliding in his DM
Once too many times Strewn me over the floor Too many times, over-saw my flaws My resume, he reads it as qualified to die For a long time, I cannot even figure out how to introduce myself I am Vioan or I am broken But today we fell in love for the last time No matter how many therapies we attend He will still cum to his senses Then replay those scenes, Of blood shed On repeat
In the name of love
I have stayed awake more than I have stayed away And watched my back more than the watchman watches the neighborhood
I refuse to be part of a statistic Facilitated by confirmed rumors and spirited debates I refuse to sink hearts and spades and inhale breaths of dust to dust Empathetic of my wasted mutilated body Screaming for justice more than him being convicted For he would be rotting in jail just like me in my grave Would justice be found in that case? Or would I be another headline Representing the voices of women whose men have handed them heartache?
Women gone too soon Women forgotten too soon In the name of love
QUESTIONS Is what trending yielding? Where will your thinking take you? Is it calling your finding or finding your calling? What if your calling is differs with your training?
I AM BUT I am stinking of fear riddled with self-doubt It carpets my soul and pricks my being like pine needles Deliriously in love with suicidal thoughts My insides victims of negatively transcribed thoughts This ink and paper cushions me because my pillow is soaking wet like a river Juicing my own wounds The fastest I can run is my nose My skin, begging for touch just to remind myself maybe I am still alive
FLAWED HUMAN BEINGS
The words we wish we never spoke The broken trust and the lies told The tough and the ugly The crimes we commit in our imagination The souls we disappoint in our quest for material gain The rumors we make go viral Blood dripping of vengeance Pulpits poisoned with sin Breathless yet meaningless declarations of love Pointless points of view Vulgar display of words must be mouth transplants and the donor must be the devil himself The propaganda and hidden agendas paraded as lyrical proverbial scripts Open air violence Guns wrapped in gifts and donated Hatred wrapped in hugs to backbite Relationships merely backups We continue watering the fish Then offer the ‘scratch my back’ kind of help
NOT TO DO LIST Do nothing Live in harmony with sin Be gentle with corruption
AN ILL SOCIETY Niko overweight kwa sababu nina a heavy heart Kama zile clouds zimebeba backups Hata ‘check weight’ haiwezi reveal my true weight Kwa sababu haipimi weight ya stress na depression Ama weight ya metaphors Hii hapa ukipenda iite metamorphosis
Mama ndiye bread winner but hata hawezi tell taste ya breadcrumbs Na akipatikana aki-interact na hio harufu, atafutwa kazi Tukiomba, yeye hu-put emphasis on ‘Give us our daily bread’
Kuna watu fulani wana-rip off Na ambacho hawajapanda wana-reap Ndio maana hii soil iko na stamp mingi za R.I.P These are the same people wanatoa quotes Hio ni mockery kwa wale wanaishi quotas Na zile talents hazijaskizwa huko ghetto
Zao ni ‘tongue fu’ Result ya kung-fu Kwa streets
Blood inafaa kuflow kwa veins Ni fingerprints za hawa wahuni Ndio maana wanapenda ku-lend a hand Instead ya ku-hold a hand Ili wabaki wakitudai
Yule boy hana roho ngumu Ni vile ana-feel so doomed and gone Kwake life ni kama Sodom na Gomorrah Alikuwa victim wa Sodomy akapata Gonorrhea
Yule mrembo ako na degree moja But ako burned to the third degree Kwa sababu hawa ma-vampires Ma-vultures na ma-fisi Wanadai ‘one percent’ Ndio maana ‘women are encouraged to apply’ Tena wanajiita equal opportunity employers Hapana, hawa ni eagle opportunity employers
Hawa ni wale wadosi illegal wana-sign contracts Halafu consumers wana-contract all kinds of diseases
Kwa sababu kalamu zao wame-dip kwa blood damu zetu ni wino wa kalamu zao Wanazotumia kutupiga kalamu
Tukidai maendeleo wanatupatia silent treatment Kana kwamba tunahitaji matibabu Sisi ni wale hupeleka politicians outing First, huwa tuna-check-in KRA
Wanaendelea kuongeza corridors of power Yet, injustice inatendeka kwa corridors of ‘justice’ Halafu wanadai ”leave room for investigation” Kwa watu hawana hata place ya kuita home No wonder hata opportunity does not come knocking
Hii society ni double standard Hata misemo inasaliti Kama old is gold kwa nini 8-4-4 inaproduce gold diggers wengi kuliko gold owners? Tena gold diggers wana-score A in carnal knowledge?
Thanks to social media, Sex is packaged in statuses and updates
In follows na likes In subscriptions na trends Uploads na downloads Ndio maana hata calendar haiko safe Kwa sababu hizi date rapes zimezidi
Ndio maana hawa mabinti wana-open legs kuliko wanavyo open arms Sauti zao badala ya kutoa nyoka pangoni zinatoa pombe kwa counter pesa yao ni hard-earned kwa sababu ni result ya ‘handwork’ na wala sio hard work
Nao wanaume wako connected to Wifi deeper kuliko Wife career zao zina-blow brains badala ya ku-blow minds Wanakimbililia notes kwa bank bila first kutumia notes ziko kwa shelf
Relationships za siku hizi hazi-last long Kwa sababu watu wamekuwa farmers, wana-grow apart sana Watu wamekuwa peepers badala ya keepers But loyal keepers pekee wamebaki ni gatekeepers Although hiyo pia ni dependent na ile siku ata-learn combination ya safe So usidhani uko safe ati kwa sababu fortune yako iko kwa safe Hata watu tender wamebaki pekee ni bartenders
Until ulewe chakari upate asubuhi unafanana na naked truth
Imefika point niko tempted kumalizia na, ‘hii society ni ill’
But si society imeundwa na mimi na wewe? So, sote tuko guilty as charged We all need to change for the better
PICK A STRUGGLE Sijui ni gani heavier, weight ya taxes ama, height ya corruption Sijui ni gani better, kurauka seven ku-report job sipendi ama, kurauka four ku-nurture passion hailipi bills Niko na blisters kwa mdomo vile na-try ku-speak my mind hadi throat imekuwa rough kama sand paper Kuna youth mmoja tired na mwingine tayari tyre-d Kuna tofauti ya taken na taken for granted Wengine wataku-kill softly kama soft drink wengine wataku-souvenir na accesso-lies ukidhani nimekosea, rudia ndio term nita-use Nyuki ndio wengi kuliko asali Usidhani lab ndio pekee kuna microscopic attention Tuna-preach love but ikifika ni marriage The tribe becomes more important than the rib Ndio maana waliziita pingu za maisha Tuna-evangelize tribalism in the name of peace Where you come from imekuwa more important than who you are Kati ya bleeding love na breeding hate No, sita-pick a struggle
THE STORY OF MY LOVE LIFE I do not recall leaving the door open Yet you came in You did not force it Never felt like a break in I cannot remember how but, now I can scarcely fathom life without your presence Sometimes I like to think this is a mirage The reality is you are not even the special one You are the only one, who brings out the best in me This love flows naturally Allows others to set foot in a foreign land they do not belong Yet your being does not summon its jealousy I am a happy loner yet, still you juice out the parts of me that secretly want you Better still you allow us to drink from that cup You here digging me without burying me I do not feel dead but are you a serial lover? I see you put effort in trying to scoop out my ‘goodness’ just to show me how much I am missing out to see what you see in me No amount of daring you kept you away from dear-ing me I guess that is a sign from heaven
MY HOBBY MY HEARTBEAT I dare you to inspire me I dare you to drown me in a bowl full of ink I will come out dripping of poetry Confiscate my pen and paper I will use the soil as my book My fingers as my pen I doubt the soil can be confiscated The beauty in my beating is anointed The sheer velocity of my ambition can send the lighting fighting for its life This gift given to me, I will use it to add value I will write statements to make a statement I cannot shed my passion for pen, paper and everything metaphor
NO TO WAR YES TO PEACE There’s a tiny waterfall in my eyes There’s a thunderstorm in some people’s hearts That’s causing raging wars When they said, pray for war-torn countries Did they mean the victims or the guilty? The victims, some healed, some dead But the guilty, still roaming in the streets looking to strike God inspire our minds, hearts, souls and spirit to be peace-loving. #prayforsouthsudan
HEARTBROKEN I gave you my love You sliced my heart Each slice of it You smeared your show of ignorance Threw it to stray dogs to scavenge How can I see the beauty of this aftermath? This did not become blank space It became vacuum
NAKED From Maiden to Mistress in pursuit of the paper Often ruined careers see, she was a carrier From houseguest to house girl to housewife in a cum we stay She gave herself hole-heartedly Reversed pregnancies C-sectioned, careful not to damage the honey pot suctioned using stolen pipes But one day she orgasmed with too much happiness forgot Seed niggah is another deadbeat and side niggah is a broke broker Karma is a bitch Diva’s been ditched women beefing with her she befriended mother nature From Baby Mama to Mama Mboga Baby struggles to learn lugha ya mama amidst mama’s semi-coherent ramblings Caretaker becomes baby sitter She played with fire, wasn’t prepared to deal with the soot Her age-mates, now her hate-mates She pulled down her pants Now she has to pull her socks twice as hard She should have opened her arms not legs and left nakedness to truth
THE TRUE MEANING OF SILENCE Silence is not numbness. It is speaking in low tones. It is the fear of speaking in a society that has numbed your willingness to highlight its ills because the gunman is more than willing to stuff a bullet in your mouth or slide a machete down your throat. It is the thing with negative media influence that teaches the young ones that ‘my is better than yours’ hash tags is anything close to constructive or progressive or productive. As a matter of fact it is downright self-seeking. Silence is failing to nurture your child’s dreams yet still expect them to grace Forbes cover. Silence is when it’s the PSV driver’s fault when you are riding on a motorbike but becomes the motorcyclist’s fault when you are a passenger in a PSV. Shifting blame quicker than a chameleon’s appetite for color.
WE SAME DIFFERENT We talk everyday but rarely communicate Communicate each other’s desires, life goals, dreams and aspirations We are partners in crime guilty of failing to nurture each other to become better than we found each other We are more concerned with rules than roles #relationship goals We are bombarded with more theories than truths Manifesting itself through a recurring temptation to feed hurt and denial with revenge and dissatisfaction with rumor We chase but become worn out Maybe we ought to pursue with joy in our hearts We are too cautious to love deeply yet too aggressive to kiss fiercely and too eager to exchange fluids Is that why a guy’s chest can appear to be more appealing than the throb of his throat? Is that why a guy’s fingers can easily run through a girl’s hair but fail to run through her inner most thoughts Is that why we are more than friends but a little less than a couple? We subscribe to values built on the premise of correction rather than on the promise of love, hope, faith, safety, devotion and commitment We spend time fighting hate but fail to build and nurture love We spend time trying to change others instead of inspiring them through changing ourselves first We are all embarking on a journey marked by a lot of detours and contingencies frustrations, disappointments, disillusions and segregation. A lot of finger pointing Too little of action-planning will do more harm than good Love is not food which you can sprinkle the right amount of salt. I like to think of love like life; there is no right or wrong way of approach If we choose to love fiercely, love will win over hate How about merging our differences for a start? More like same different…
A STORY I AM TOO SHY TO TELL Some situations leave you both happy and sad. Some calls leave you wanting for more. Sometimes the things we crave for seem so close but are so far away. Sometimes you accept and move on but other times you do not, because you cannot. How is it possible to move on to a better yet unforeseen circumstance when every nerve within you feels you are leaving the best? The best thing that ever happened to you? Sometimes it becomes a gut-wrenching dilemma. Should you go along with what is comfortable in the hope of making it perfect or what is best while persevering its imperfections? Sometimes you endure, other times you enjoy. Finally, it dawns on you that there are millions of other souls faced with a similar predicament.
LESSONS ON SAME STAGE, SAME CHALLENGE, DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS Life has no systematic way of approach as may be in Science. Even though there are generic solutions to universal problems, there is no formula which can be applied to life’s complex phenomena. Each situation bears its own method of dealing with and a lesson to carry home. In a concert, there is one platform with different artistes set to perform on the same stage. Each of those artists must have encountered challenges before the world began appreciating their artistry. Some challenges are collective while others are unique to a particular artist. For the challenges which most artistes can relate to, I doubt whether each of them solved them in exactly the same way. One artist may have engaged the services of an agency as their ticket to fame, while another may have taken advantage of the online space to share their work with the world. In business, more often than not, we hear successful people cite ‘lack of capital’ as one of the biggest challenge during the start-up stage. While one business man may have taken a loan to finance business activities, another one may have sought grants from a non-governmental organization. Sometimes, we all face similar challenges but in the end, solve them from different angles. That is the irony of life but the beauty lies in the assurance that God furnished the world so perfectly, so that we could access what we need for our everyday life. This observation taught me two lessons including: 1. Do not pursue anything on the grounds that someone else did it and emerged a champion. Even though you can relate to someone else’s struggles, do not seek to duplicate their methods. God has equipped everyone with their own merchandise. Do some soul searching. Pursue what your heart craves for, and then execute it with your mind.
2. Learn from others but tell your own story with an honest twist and an open mind. There will always be a million artistes, businessmen, doctors, poets, teachers but each one of us has a story of their own which is unique to them. A beautiful story.
SPEAKING FOR THE VOICES Between me and poverty, I have talent I am the trendsetter who needs a little push I am the mover and shaker that hasn’t been interviewed I kid you not sucess is real, I travelled in private jets all in my dreams From what I hear, all dreams are valid. Don’t tell me to be myself or overcome fear, I have overcome myself in being myself truly. I have all the starter kits, manuals, how tos, the dos and the donts in my finger tips A mentor, a teacher, a guardian to cushion my fears and remind me the tears are worth it Is this not what we all need? It is not that people do not know what to do, they do not know how to do it I would speak for the masses but this time its for the voices because sometimes in the end, success becomes a voice in their head
TILL DEATH MAKES US BONES Till death makes us bones this flesh will be too fresh for the soil in a flash, all gone, all that will be left is our bones and it will not be the gwara gwara Undressed of breath Stripped of skin Ants will butcher our bodies Their teeth will peel our hearts bit by bit Siphon our blood maybe, Still our souls will find harmony No fashion weaponed against our love shall prosper. So keep our glasses full just in case we wake up from this permissible slumber Till death makes us bones You will have chewed my saliva several times hoping it never ends Life is hard but death does not make it easier So I beg let us die on the same day Let them say, we lived a good life We loved them God loved them more They loved each other the best Till death made them bones
DROWNED FOR LIFE Water is life is it not the same that drowned my little sister Kissed the life out of her Drowned her for life Her dreams and ambitions swept away the calm waters still but deep yet a raging storm in disguise We wept in patterns and in turns and tried to open our eyes to the possibility that she was merely asleep, that maybe she will wake up in her adult life but not even the noise of this poem could work the magic They say denial is the first stage of grief A decade later am still in that stage wishing I had taught her how to swim she knew selfies better and her friends have many photos of her transitioning from death to life their routine fun and flair drowned she could not wake up to update her Insta, she slept peacefully not wishing to be disturbed causing her to float , lifeless yet still hoping she finds life after death
PLEASURES LAST A CUM, BLESSINGS LAST A LIFETIME Do not allow the stars to mourn one of their own Head over heels lover to the moon and back with mor’n fever Succumbing to pressures and pleasures Pleasures last a cum, blessings last a life time Princessa to receive and experience love Be fully present not a present Be fiercely patient not a patient Fall in love with God Fall in love with yourself Fall in love with your calling
NEVER MIND ME Never mind my accent or the lack of it I speak kind words with echoes I pronounce love with the spelling of peace and an attitude of patriotism Never mind that I am quite fat This skin is just too thick to feel unloved They tell me to love myself to death not knowing I have lived there Death is painful but so is living when living is your death’s prototype Never mind that I never attended blue chip schools I am full of great transformative ideas Honey, I am a public opinion Never mind that this poem is short But that it hopes you read between the lines
GIVE ME WIND TO FLY There seems to be more of you and too little of me in this situationship The Genesis of my Exodus Into a world of the unknown I have wings to fly but no wind to jumpstart this greatness within me yelling to be let out Am gone from your negativity Whatever happens to me Success will be every inch of it
ALL THE WAYS MY LOVER WAS EX Today, I saw my ex-lover Today, am not going to pray for our love to be reinstated, it is not a state It is enough for me you safe That the stars keep coming for your shine. It does not matter there may be no are traces of my heartbeat in your system But that you are full like the moon with happiness So dear ex-citing lover Am here to tell em what really happened against us I was the lock to your dreams Rarely the rock Between your palms, never settled for the warmth, but the scratch of dollars I became the rough of your life So one of us left both of us And found solace in silence I found silence in solace just maybe
READ BETWEEN THE SHEETS Read between the sheets not even if line’s too blur-red Kissing frogs is just that lusting a few seconds With your heaven sent you will last a lifetime
You do not have to take the blame for taking pills and portions for taking turns and positions for confidently assuming you taken only that you seriously taken for granted
Take responsibility for self-love Cultivate not an ego but confidence Take it in all the love
Let it settle in every tendon bruised by broken we will be’s Let it dissolve the why’s and why not(s) should not have done’s but did plenty more
Love yourself so deep next time you do not have to read between the sheets
I AM NOT HE IS
I fell in love a couple of timelines ago I am witnessing I am experiencing true love in its purest most unconditional form This love’s not in extremity but in gentleness a love that reminds me to seek forgiveness for there is redemption Allow me to exercise my bragging rights and announce to you the love of my life the light of my path my way maker my promise keeper my destiny maker your way maker your promise keeper your destiny changer He is not anonymous He is known among masses His works need not be edited or updated
Him who sent His own beloved son so that women would be forgiven for spreading malicious gossip men would be forgiven for initiating domestic violence children would be forgiven for disobeying their parents the youth would be forgiven for their slanderous behaviors The society would be forgiven for its corrupt ways Even in His never giving us the satisfaction to fully understand how He works still I fall I am His child forever He pampers me The desire to succeed keeps me awake but the will of God keeps me alive not just His wish but His will Now I no longer retail His word, amma be an ambassador of my faith Today when you pray Do it with honesty rather than ambiguity
LOST LOVE
Some one save me from myself bring back myself to my real self Someone help me find my lost love that is me Someone help me rekindle the fire that is self esteem Someone help me remember how to remind myself to remember to forget negativity
THRO THE PAIN TO THE GAIN Thro’ the pain to the gain In my quest to attain I’ve learnt to abstain From complain Anything that tries to stain My chosen terrain For it is not in vain But by every vein In my brains My stars will align With whom I am meant to be
MAMA TAUGHT In the midst of their laughter they sired beautiful daughters and then came me the son she gave me a name way before she saw my face or felt my tiny hands She was my first landlady she gave me free shelter She was my first audience when I made attempts to dance or so they say ‘kicking in glorious response’ to her warmth She never dared to strangle me with her umbilical cord Mama taught me never to wear rubber whenever I felt the need to protect myself from the rain water can leak inside, she would say fall in love not in bed She taught me to pull up my socks and to my sisters never to pull down their pants before the time is ripe never to become a mistress it always ends with stress you become miss stress remember to punctuate your love interests
with more questions than full stops before it stops and you end up looking like a fool Mama never went to school but she knew the distance from H to O and saw to it we showered twice daily in the morning with panga and the rest of the day with affection Mama taught us pushing can give life but pushing away can destroy it something he failed to acknowledge He was more further than a father Brands ALWAYS there for her than her love was I often watched her laughs float in the corner of her mouth in disguise of the tears sinking her joys I watched her transform bitter to better and queue her patience in anticipation of cornbread for our hunger-mutilated bodies whose leftovers she scavenged She taught us to garnish our lives with optimism and marinate it with knowledge She taught us to go down on our knees so we would stand tall and never fall short of His glory That way we would never bruise our kneecaps due to learnt hopelessness and desperation She is at rest now and even though her breath is frozen
her legacy, her advice and her wit still lives on in my heart thank you Mama
BEING HER-SELF
She never changed how she looks He just changed the way he used to look at her The smile is the same just a little bit more cutting edge She’s learnt to leverage confidence in a way that’s welcoming without being the doormat