POET FROM KENYA by Henry Thiong'o

POET FROM KENYA by Henry Thiong'o: DESTINY

I searched my eyes Stared into them And saw nothing, but: Darkness I felt cold, Inside I felt pain A pain the eyes hid. My eyes lied, But my heart spoke. I quaked under the pressure. I sobbed in my mind. Concealing the hurt inside, Burning me with rage, Still my eyes won’t tell. Brave, they look on. Occasionally threatening to falter, But still the dont tell Stay strong you are a man they comfort me Do not shed a tear. Never show fear!

Beyond those hills In the lands beyond Is where I head From today I am dead I died when I woke up. Do not wait for me I don’t know where I go. Fate shall be my guide Faith my comfort Bury me in your hearts I know that it hurts, so Pray that I resurrect again So we can be one ones more But, for now adios Mourn not Until I rot Yester night I gathered courage, Bravery and put them in my bag I will carry them wherever I go So long Till we meet again But for now let me soldier on I am at war with my self Like a soldier no retreats no surrender Am on the battle front The prize is my destiny And I will fight Till I have it with me

She moans, she weeps, Until she falls asleep Her body slumped in a heap Unable to contain her lean body She is mourning Nightfalls and comes morning No one comforts her She lives alone and far Now that her son is gone She has no will to go on What’s the need in living? When her pride and joy Her son, her little boy Left for the underworld She finds no need for this world All she wants is to join him To kiss, tickle and cuddle him To fill the warmth of his breath Next to her reaching for her breast She yearns for his tender little eyes So calm like a starry filled night sky He was her pillar Emotions begin to fill her. Her motherly heart can only take so much She makes her way to the church With one last breath of strength She mutters a few words to God “Dear God, My lord. Forgive my sins How have you been since? It’s been long since I was here. I know you alone my problems can hear My heart is weak and my will dim Anger fills me to the brim. Many a...

Deceived by my eyes and all I was told I should see, Opinions not mine, the person they taught me to b, One night in the dark, a vision of someone I knew, And in the darkness I saw, a voice say, I'm you. Inside me a light was turned on, Then I was alive If you close your eyes your life, a naked truth revealed, Dreams you never dreamed, and scars never healed, In the darkness, light will take you to the other side, You'll find me waiting there, You'll see if you just close your eyes, Hearts uninspired, trapped inside somebody's dream, Too close to the fire, yet cold and numb with the pain, But the fever has broken, and the river has run to sea, Washed to the ocean, and saved by a voice inside me. Inside me a light was turned on, Then I was alive If you close your eyes your life, a naked truth revealed, Dreams you never dreamed, and scars never healed, In the darkness, light will take you to the other side, You'll find me waiting there, ...

She is heavy laden Her womb beginning to show She has added on more weight She tires quickly She is young This is her first child For an African woman It would have been a happy moment But she is sad She grieves her lose in pain She lost her virginity She was pure and unblemished She was sacred almost holy She knows not what she bears She fears the worst Still hopes for the best Her name is Africa The pain she goes through She was raped by the world Devoured to her very being She lost it all to lust, Greed and selfishness All she held on to, Her values, principles and culture In her womb she carries a reminder Of a childhood scathed Of a woman scorned That of womanhood mocked

I died in my sleep Woke up in my dreams I walk on my hands Dew brushing my feet Singing but uttering no word I was murdered Buried in my head Right there on the bed Then a voice said Bury him his dead Welcome to hell All is well Heavens open your doors Now I know what it feels like I have learnt my lesson Under the scorching heat I acknowledge my sin The flames whispered to me Begged them to let me free. God please hear my plea. In the stillness of the night. A soul is saved.

spreading Across the ridge Under the bridge Over the hills and valleys Further than the scope of eyes Extending majestically and proud Across rivers and lakes So beautiful and elegant Covered in plush green Swaying in awing admiration Stretching at dusk and further at dawn The sun setting on its path Rising at its footstool The wind worships The sun adores Gazelles and antelopes giraffes and elephant Strutting back and forth at your bosom. Am lost in your beauty. A perfect picture Fitted in by steady arms A work of art Carefully drawn

He milked the bull He was a fool Life taught him that A lesson well learnt He lies in the shed crippled The truth hard to grapple He touched a burning flame Now he's unable walk, he’s lame He licked the wounds of a dying lion Oblivious that its never dead until its dead Licked the embers of a burning savanna Fiercely filled with rage

Darkness in light that is all I see. A shadow Hidden in between, Silence, a voice waiting to free. The air pregnant with intensity A breath of fresh air, Freedom free in the air. The eyes in my mind blinded Darkness, the only thing visible. Perhaps it’s the suppression Or even the oppression. Days of cold anxiety engulf Seated close to the fire But shivering like its already winter Death looms the air Blood choking the ground Gunshots startling ancestors Smoke clouding the skies Cries of innocence infinite Songs barely incoherent To Freedom we are bound Behind bars of scars,bleeding wounds Oozing years of desperation, Torture, pain and submission You alone can deliver From a world of torment A world paralyzed by hunger, anger and selfish quest The dead awake to bury the dying Those alive living only for the battle front. they fall in numbers, Overwhelming the battle field. Freedom, to you we’re bound If not, then death be it No more shall we be slaves. ...

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. So they say, But often times we judge; Others merely because we are not the beholders Beauty has not born in our eyes. We look hard yet we still can’t see. Clouded by pride, We me think ourselves to be the best, Casting shadows on the rest. Perhaps it’s human nature. Or simply ignorance, We are a mean lot. Yes and I mean a lot. Always thinking of ourselves, It happens almost naturally. Now who is to blame? Tough questions little answers. Rhetoric’s are the order of the day. Most of them are anyway. Sounds simple that way, doesn't it? It’s every man for himself after all. So it’s said Well how true it is I don’t know, To be sincere I don’t even care either. Words have a way round things. You juggle with a few. End result something new. I don’t mean to play with any. No, but I actually know as many. But why go through that torture? Try to expound infinity. Since time immemorial, Love has been a puzzle. I prefe...

She was young, Paying a debt she knew nothing of. Now she is grown, Seeking revenge For love, a thing she’s never known Now she must avenge. A sword for another. Like a hunter, S he will wait for the opportune time. She vowed on their grave. Her family's bed, Where they now lay dead! For years she's waited for this day, She will make him pay. Blood for blood she swore. Her thirsts now even more. Now that she knows him, She hates him. So much she can’t breathe S he sees him smirk like a fool. And she burns inside. Hungers to smell his blood. Fresh in the morning cold. She dreams of it. Now she will live it. Her dream has lived to fruition. She has a mixture of emotions. He took away her childhood, Life and even womanhood; He took way her entire being Every reason to be a human being Her innocence and dignity’ Her virginity! But with that sword in hand, Like a magic wand. Will settle the scores. She is brave. At least for her parents she has...

Do not shed a tear. Do not confirm my fear. Listen not to them. Do not weep for me. I’m only asleep. Since when do you weep? When someone takes a nap. Do not weep for me. I got carried away. Reeled to a land far away. Dreamland to peace and bliss. Do not weep for me. Make my favorite dish. That’s my only wish. Right before I wake. Do not weep for me. Death walks alone. It went past me it’s gone. Love, my love fought for me. Do not weep for me. Tell them to stop mourning. It’s such a beautiful morning. They are disturbing my peace. Do not weep for me. I was kidnapped by slumber. That is all I remember. I'm already making him a deal. Do not weep for me. Soon I will be released All your anguish eased Together forever in unending bliss. Do not weep for me.

All i did was borrow. Borrowed without the owners consent. The sun rose and has now set. I have not made a cent To feed my hungry child, To tend to my sick son. Lying unconsciously probably even dead. I have failed as a man and father. But I die, not for myself, but for that child struggling to breathe Even as you drain all your energy on me Ask yourself this; are you better than me? Then you will understand. That I die for others but myself. I can stomach having nothing, In my stomach for one week. But the pain would be too much. For my three year old son. huddled somewhere in the cold. The only thing on, his skinny frame. And now you beat up his only hope. All because I borrowed a packet of milk. To save my only lifeless child. My life is in your hands and so is my son's. I cry these tears not for the pain I feel. But I cry for that little child. Cuddled up in the cold Perhaps waiting for me with hope of something to eat. God look after him for me ...

Today , like yesterday . Just like every other day. Tomorrow will be past To some maybe the last. Others their worst. Some will regret, Try hard to forget. Others will smile I lie awake for awhile, Wondering about my own. Silently I moan. Today I made a mistake. A burden that tomorrow will take. So I find sleep. Silently even as I weep. Before it unleashes its wrath. I hope that death, Wakes up be for I do.

Hear me out , The truth will out . I have no doubt The culprits will be caught. One day this farce, This travesty will see day Then, people will pay Death is what I pray. Our God he who is ubiquitous Will not let those malicious Slaughterers go unpunished They took her away All alone I lie in this bed Here my last days I spend Surrounded by this sullen walls Guilt engulfs my heart Rhetoric’s clouding my thoughts I look into mine eyes and despair Now as I stare into thin air, I thank the man up there somewhere At least he gave me time to prepare But now I think it’s time he came Take this life out of this frame: That now remains my body If you can’t make it then send somebody, Anybody a robber or a murderer Send them to take away this suffering I can’t take it anymore What pains most is to see those damn pretenders They will concoct anything come see whether am dead Get well cards filling my shelf? They can fool anyone but me Lord save me from t...

BELATED DEATH Oh! death oh! Sweet death You are late. Where were you? I have been saving my breath. Patiently waiting for you . Make no stop over come deliver me. Make haste, Before it’s too late . I no longer wish to live Hurry so we can leave What is taking you so long? I am not as strong I can’t bear the pain no more Do not even knock. You are welcome Take me home, To that place. That promises no pain. Come before I die, Come, come in. Or do you despise me too? Even you do not desire to be close to me. I am an outcast. Am haunted by the past I accept the worst. This breath is my last. If you’re not here, I will come find you. Hope to be in time. To meet with him, That Supreme Being He who dwells in the heavens. It is he alone I will answer to.

POEM FOR MAMA She is a mother. She is a daughter She is a woman She, knew no man When she did you came. You burned out her youthful flame When she devoted herself to you Her tender love was true You could see it in her eyes Even after years have gone by Her eyes still dilate Though you never reciprocate She still loves and adores her creation A creation brought to fruition She is agile and fragile She has been sick for a while Not so much for health But the loneliness she hath She has been neglected Abandoned and rejected Her child away to work It is time for her to pack Its about time she left Her side of the bidding she’s kept Now he’s grown and a man She gathers as much strength as she can To relive those fond moments They pour in torrents When mother and child were one So much time has since gone But the memories are still fresh How she wishes it would again start afresh Not so much to enjoy the good times But rather make amends for the bad t...

Africa is a beauty if only everyone would see the same. She has been made barren by negative ; publicity; corruption , poverty, crime e.t.c It is about time that we learnt, to mind our own business and look the other way.