Post by Onyango Oloo on Nov 25, 2017 16:06:37 GMT 3
[Most of Onyango Oloo's readers are familiar with my "digital essays" which focus mostly on topical Kenyan,African and world issues. But when I began writing as a young student, I was more into plays, short stories, verse and other creative literary creative material. The feisty political and polemical stuff came later, especially when I was in university, prison, exile and the wide arena of global anti-imperialist struggles. I have always delved in those aforementioned genres through my many blogs. Today I have decided to present something I am calling "Oloo's Free Digital Verse". I am using the word "free" in a double sense. First of all, I hesitate in calling my collection "poetry" because those who are familiar with traditional things like rhyme, meter, stanza and other forms of the poetical genre may sniff at the stuff. Secondly I am employing the word "free" in its more conventional sense in that Onyango Oloo is not offering this work FOR SALE. With that brief, here is the stuff. All you have to do is to log on to Jukwaa and access the material. Sincerely, Onyango Oloo.]
(i)Who is The Most Beautiful Woman in Kenya?
who is the most beautiful woman in kenya?
the most beautiful woman in kenya
is any woman in kenya
the most beautiful woman in kenya
is you, if you are a woman and you love yourself
the most beautiful woman in kenya
is your mother, my sister, your aunt, our neighbour
the most beautiful woman in kenya
is the woman wasting away in a hospital bed as aids ravages her body
the most beautiful woman is that blind student at kenyatta
the most beautiful woman in kenya is the teenager begging in the streets of nairobi
the most beautiful woman in kenya who has been taught
that your ass is too big, your legs too thin, your hair too coarse, your teeth too large, your breasts too small your waist too wide
the most beautiful woman in kenya is the woman who never bothered to enter the miss kenya pageant because her skin is darker than charcoal, her teeth browner than chocolate and her face rougher than sandpaper
the most beautiful woman in kenya is the seventy year old hunchback
the most beautiful woman in kenya is the woman who has never been told that she is beautiful
the most beautiful woman in kenya is the woman stocking up all those mercury laded skin lightners trying to outshine halle berry and tyra banks
the most beautiful woman in kenya is your old schoolmate who you used to tease and taunt because of her succulent lips
that you thought were too thick
but which every barbie doll on the paris runway/catwalk is desperately trying to replicate with generous infusions of silicon
the most beautiful woman in kenya is staring back at you
uncertainly
from your own bathroom mirror....
(ii)Wanjiku
Who is Wanjiku?
Wanjiku is a woman,
Wanjiku is a man
Wanjiku is young
Wanjiku is old
Wanjiku is a Kikuyu
Wanjiku is a Luo
Wanjiku is a Maasai
Wanjiku is a Mnandi
Wanjiku is a Chuka, Tharaka, Tigania, Chonyi,
Degodia, Ajuran, Sakuye,
Abasuba, Pokomo,
Mshela, Mpate, Mduruma
Wanjiku lives in Keroka and North Horr
Wanjiku is in London and Harare
Wanjiku is a market lady
Wanjiku is makanga
Wanjiku is a doctor
Wanjiku is an engineer
Who is Wanjiku?
Wanjiku is your mother and your father
Wanjiku is your neighbour and her daughter in law
Who is Wanjiku?
Wanjiku is in Jubilee
Wanjiku is in ODM
Wanjiku is in Amani
Wanjiku is a member of the DP and the LDP
Wanjiku is a life member of FORD-Kenya and founder of FORD-People
Wanjiku is in KANU and Sisi Kwa Sisi
Wanjiku is a Muslim
Wanjiku is a Christian
Wanjiku is a Hindu
Wanjiku is a conservative
Wanjiku is a communist
Who is Wanjiku, you ask?
You are Wanjiku, so is your brother
Wanjiku rides on a donkey-
When she is not driving her BMW
Wanjiku eats muthokoi
when she is not frying kadzora
Or kuon gi ngege
Wanjiku wears a hijab
when she is not bedecked in Maasai beads.
Wanjiku is a post-graduate fellow
Wanjiku never saw the inside of a
classroom.
Wanjiku does not have a computer and has never been online in her life.
Wanjiku’s other names are:
Tumaini
Uhuru
Umoja
Maendeleo
Haki
Usawa
Wanjiku loves her home which she calls Kenya.
(iii)The Killers of Our
Dreams
don’t want us to dream
the killers of our kenyan dreams
our dreams of peace
our dreams of national unity
our kenyan dreams of justice and equality
our kenyan dreams of a new democratic constitution
the killers of our dreams
don’t want us to dream
the killers of our kenyan dreams
want to kill us
that is why we should rise above the trivia
that is why we should transcend the inertia
the dementia of updating our facebook walls
with inane, lame and tired lines
drivel like
oh, I am so bored
limpid lines like
gosh, I am so drunk
throw away trash like
look at me, I am so fly
silly whines like
poor me, I am so dry
let us not be twittering twits
twittering tweets about
our ex romantic partners
and how we accosted them
doing the nasty stark naked
in the living room
with esther arunga doing ktn at one
let us not commit suicide
because our favourite
english premier league club
lost out to a superior la liga opponent
or was turfed out in a heartbreak concession
to a resilient bundesliga adversary
while we here in kenya
wallow in neo-colonial unglamorous squalor
let us remain
each and every one of us
not just mere
run of the mill
sometimish day wet dreamers
but focused, stubborn
hard working dreamers
never letting go
dreamers of dreams
dreaming undreamt dreams
dreaming forbidden, forsaken dreams
dreaming ex-communicated dreams
and I am not talking of x-rated dreams
of lusty fantasies and fornication orgies
but as we dream
let us wake up at the same time
and start moiling and toiling
struggling and working
day in, day out
week after week
month after month
year after year
decade after decade
struggling to make all those dreams
see the cold light of day
fellow dreamers
see yourself perched atop
the highest peak of mount Kenya
proudly hoisting aloft
our victory flag
visualize yourself
riding the most precarious crest
three hundred metres deep
into the kikambala beach
clinging tenaciously
to our banner of liberation
some of us started dreaming big
way back in our mid teens
in those half-forgotten
bell bottomed seventies
dreaming back then of freedom
of justice, of democracy
before we clasped hands
with other young dreamers
to start organizing
in the clandestine subterrains
for revolution, for socialism
now in the second decade
of a century some of our comrades
never got to see
we are now on the other side of forty five
smiling wistfully
as we observe our teen daughters
and twenty something sons
stirring with angst
as they too, dream their own dreams
in this digitized, networked, facebooked
viral marketed twenty first century
twittered demi-monde
and still we dream our dreams
meshing with their dreams
and musing their children’s future dreams
some of us
dream not of palatial dream homes
we dream not of cavernous garages
chock full of imported dream limos
we dream not of billions
stashed away in dozens
of overseas bank accounts
we dream not
of faking it
in that surreal charade
of allegedly making it
instead we still dream
stubbornly of that better world
we have been steadily yearning for
we dream still of another just society
we dream of a new day dawning
where women here and everywhere
will cherish the guaranteed equal rights
as we move beyond
the old disney world of misogyny, patriarchy and sexism
we dream of local, regional, national, continental
and global peace and prosperity
we hold on to our dreams
of international solidarity
even as we hanker fiercely
of a socialist milieu
overcoming this imperialist dystopia
so my sisters and my brothers
my comrades and my compatriots
let us be proud, confident, stubborn dreamers
dream if you are a dancer
for it will help you
choreograph your future
dream if you are a singer
as you lyrically weave today’s melodies
and tomorrow’s harmonies
dream if you are an actor
bringing dialogue and drama
to life in living colour
dream especially if
you are a poet
for your life is an epic
which has just barely begun…
(iv)The Sun Rises in the South
the arrogance and the machismo
of the italians
the cockiness and the swagger
of the argentinians
the braggadocio and the contempt
of the portuguese
the superciliousness
and overconfidence
of the russians
the chest thumping
and assumptions
of the french
all suddenly evaporated,
all vanished
all gone,
all swept away
by the incredible footwork
the surprising charisma
the enduring persistence
of the koreans, the senegalese
and other lesser southern lights
i chuckle as i observe
racist british commentators
on canadian television
choking, swallowing
their dismissive pronouncements
on asian and african football
that they so
freely dished out
only hours ago
the cinderelas
have refused to go home
the side show acts
have grabbed centre stage
the six o’clock news
is dominated by
the revelry in seoul,
kwangju and pyongyang
no italian flags this evening
on st. laurent
and other parts
of downtown montreal
no blaring car horns
along yonge street
and st. clair west in toronto
but there is
a party happening
all night in korea town
near the christie subway
and the african drums
will not be silenced
in cote des neiges,
notre dame des grace
eglinton west,
don mills and north york
tonight we hear
the clash and bong
of the korean drums
tonight
we dance to
the pulsating rythms
of the djembe and tam tams
and sing along
to the melodies
of ismael lo,
baaba maal and yousour ndour
tonight we celebrate
the coming of age
of african football
tonight we cheer
the wake up call
from asian soccer
tonight
we thumb our noses
at the colonial powers
who have poached
so much of africa’s
and asia’s talent
tonight
we howl on them
to bring it on
the one true champion
we all hold in awe
is still in the race
so let’s not
get ahead of ourselves
brazil
composed of
so much of africa
and aboriginal turtle island
and of working class
hungry youth from
the teeming favelas
brazil
is the one to beat
ronaldo,
rivaldo, roberto carlos
dunga
and all the other
dazzling talents
in the famous yellow
make us relive
the glories of the famous
peles and tostaos
suddenly for me,
the world cup has become
even more interesting
(v)Poet as the Embodiment of some Ukimwi carrying Kenyan Women in Mombasa
they have tried to bury us alive
with indifference
neglect
stigma and silence
but we are still alive
we the women of kenya
living positively
with this ukimwi
that we all fear
they have tried
to discard us
in the dustbins
of societal isolation
dump us
in the mitaro
of societal marginalization
but we are still alive
still kicking and struggling
we the women of kenya
living positively
with these killer virusi
surviving this deadly mdudu
in the western part
of our beautiful neo-colonized country
they call it ayaki
ayaki is the monster
that raids our bodies
and saps
or tries to sap our strength
oh
how this ogre
this monster is feared
and we are still alive
even as the ayaki
tries to yako us
and we are still alive
we the women of kenya
living positively
with this ukimwi
that we all fear
struggling defiantly
with this condition
that terrifies us all
we are like
the brave warrior sister
nyaitwika
from central kenya
who courageously
faced
the enemies of her people
staring down death
brushing off danger
saying
come and get me
o you vile foe
and we are still alive
we the women of kenya
living positively
with this immune depressing
robber of immunity
we are still alive
fighting on
hanging on
for another day
we are in
an unequal battle
and our soldiers
sometimes fall
valiantly
in fierce combat
with the cowardly
robber who ravishes
our essential essence
by whittling down
our bodies
sometimes we get sick
sometimes we despair
and very often we die
but for our children
we keep hanging on
fighting for
as long as we can
to stay alive
we the women of kenya
living positively
with this ukimwi
that we all fear
on the occasion
of international women's day
two thousand and five
here is
our message
to our fellow kenyans
our fellow sisters
and our fellow human beings
we are still alive
we the women of kenya
living in mombasa
malindi
kilifi
lamu
takaungu
voi
wundanyi
mazeras
mariakani
kaloleni
bura
ukunda
and all over pwani
we are still alive
we the women of kenya
living all over kenya
we need your solidarity
and your concrete support
we embrace your love
and your affection
we welcome your concern
and your care
but we can certainly do
without
your pity
we can certainly
do without
your patronizing
and your matronizing
we are not
statues of udongo
about to break
into pieces
at the slightest touch
we laugh
we cry
we eat
we sleep
we work
we play
we love
we fall out of love
and back again
we are women
just like other women
we are human beings
just like other human beings
we care about freedom
we care about democracy
we care about justice
we care about equality
when one
of our sisters is raped
we shake
with indignation
when one
of our aunties
is violently attacked
we too seek redress
and even vengeance
we have men in our lives
whom we love
and who love us back
and when we
are with them
we do what
other women
do with their men
our lives
including
our love lives
did not end the
day we found out
about the
unwelcome guests
who had
taken over our bodies
so we still love
but we love
ever so safely
ever so carefully
for if you love
you cannot
purposely harm
the one that you love
for if you love
you cannot
deliberately maim
that one that you adore
if we sat here
and told you
all our love stories
it would never end
and that is why
in closing
we say to
all the women of kenya
and women of the world
for international women's day
two thousand and five
let all the women of kenya
come together
in sisterhood
and solidarity
to support each other
irrespective of hiv status
let us not allow
medical walls
to separate us
we are all
the grand daughters
of me katilili
we are all the nieces
of wangari maathai
sisters of zarina patel
and cousins
of micere mugo
today we say with
our late spanish sister
la pasionaria dolores ibaruri:
no pasaran!
no pasaran
to those who block access
to better health
for kenyan women!
no pasaran!
no pasaran
to those who hate women
and their children
no pasaran!
no pasaran
to those who demonize
and vilify women
fighting for equality
no pasaran
to those
who are enemies of
democracy for
kenyan women
and kenyan men
today we say with
graca machel
frelimo
and the people of mozambique
a lutta continua
today we say
with winnie mandela
and the people of south africa
amandla nga wethu!
today we say with
assata shakur
and the african-american women of the states
no justice, no peace!
today we say with
rigoberta menchu
and the people of guatemala
el pueblo unido jamás será vencido
today we say with
vandana shiva
and the women of india
mother earth
and all her seeds
and resources belong
to the wretched of the earth!
today we say with
hanan ashrawi
and the people of falastin
sexists and misogynists:
yalla yalla
get out of our lives
let us push
our kenyan intifada
until ultimate victory
for all wananchi
especially women and their children
today we say with zap mama
and all progressive musicians and artists
it is never
too late to work
for a new world!
(vi)]To the Defenders of the Unborn
The defenders of the unborn
Run away from the newly born
The defenders of the unborn
Will take away the rights of women already born
The defenders of the unborn will scorn the lowly born
Even as they berate women who choose not to give birth
To a child condemned to squalor, want and possible abandonment
The defenders of the unborn
Say nothing to the irresponsible men who unleash their seeds
Straight into the wombs of women they refuse to support
Some of these men are the very defenders of the unborn
The defenders of the unborn
say nothing of the abortions
they have paid for
The defenders of the unborn
Mealy mouthed vile haters of women
Posing as lovers of children
they will never take care of
Where are the defenders of the unborn
When the children already born
are crying for milk
Where are the defenders of the unborn
When the children already born need shelter
Where are the defenders of the unborn
When the mothers of the unborn are looking
For guidance and condoms
to prevent the unborn
from being born
(vii)Samoeiit’s the fourth day
of the tenth month
or the fifth month
after she was painfully yanked away
from you
when a month’s candle
was almost gone
this evening
going through
the digital memories
of her laughter and smiles
made you scream
as if you had been
stabbed in the heart by a stiletto
o the pain of her sudden cruel passing
that screaming stab of a wailing scream
brought your auntie
and your two uncles
scampering ferociously
to your side
to wipe away the blood stained tears
gushing from your heart
now my dear niece
this guy who is your eldest uncle
he does not go to church on sundays
or observe ramadhan
I am no zen buddhist
armed with koans
nor a hindu garlanded
with sanskrit texts to recite
but a mere blogger
who pretends to be a poet
so please accept
these nocturnal digital lines
as makeshift handkerchiefs
to wipe away the
wounds of your reinjured pain
for I cry when you cry
i weep when you weep
i wail when you wail
you lost a mother
and i another sibling
a third one
this a second sister
that I did not
have the chance
to view one last time
before she was covered
under the mounds of kwa zulu earth
you lost a mother
who was also your father
your best friend
and your life long playmate
but dear niece
you are not alone
your two aunties
lost a second sister
your first cousins in jozi, paris and brussels
lost a loving auntie
your other uncle my younger brother
wept again
having recently buried a daughter
next to her mother and his father
i saw your mothers younger sister
wail demented
in kenya when the shock
of the news that her best friend
that she had spoken to
barely ten minutes previously
had collapsed and died
with the cellphone she was calling you
and her older sister with
clasped in her rigor mortared arm
dear niece
when i heard
the news from your sobbing aunt
at first I thought she was talking about
any of the four cousins
who shared your mother’s luo names
and then it hit me
that the oloo family
had lost another member
on the same day we
buried our eldest loving aunt
samoei
your name almost rhyhmes with samurai
i am sure some of your durban girlfriends
have wondered whether it is japanese in origin
but dear niece
let me tell you
samoei is a very kenyan name
it shares something with the japanese
is that it is named after a warrior
one of our greatest freedom fighters
who waged a ferocious campaign against the colonialists
for almost ten years
in full the name was
koitalel arap samoei
and no it was not a girl's name
or drawn from the luo
it is a name your paternal grandma
gave you from her nandi ancestry
so you are mixture of south african
luo and nandi roots
you are androgynous in terms of name
named after a glorious man
even as you grow up to be a beautiful black woman
i could regale you with tales of your coming greatness
but you are already my hero, shero
the other day
i saw your brilliant latest high school report
and came to congratulate you on an academic job well done
and you surprised me with your incredible modesty
pooh pooing that remarkable milestone
as your worst record yet
making me amazed
that if what i found excellent
was beneath your standards
i was yet to know which heights
you were able to soar to
samoei
let me end here
before it becomes an odyssey and
long running ode
keep up your excellence in class, in rugby, in soccer in track and field
not forgetting you are a budding musical maestro
your loving uncle
onyango oloo
who shares your mother's last name
(vii)To Our Mother Kenya on Her 37th Birthday
who remembers bamuinge
who remembers makhan singh
who remembers george morara
who remembers muindi mbingu
who remembers mary nyanjiru
who remembers mwangeka
who remembers koitalel
who remembers pio gama pinto
who remembers wasonga sijeyo
why is an avenue in mombasa
named after moi
rather than abdilatif abdalla
why is a street in nairobi
named after banda
rather than bildad kaggia
when is cege kibacia
going to come alive
in our history classrooms
when is micere and ngugi
going to come back to our theatres
who is to reassign alamin mazrui's
kilio cha haki
and kinyatti's
thunder from the mountains
into our national curriculum again
ten thousand mau mau fighters
refused to emerge from the forest
after the con trick of december sixty three
and soon kenyatta's white air force bomber pilots
were flushing out the klfa stalwarts
from their bushy and mountainous strongholds
oginga odinga
spat out not yet uhuru
and murumbi following in his wake
could only stomach
the stench of official corruption
for a few months
before retreating into private obscurity
a national mythology
has grown around the fake
baba wa taifa
who squandered a powerful legacy
as a cherished pan africanist
to head one of africa's
most avaricious looting families
mortgaging our nation to the west
in the process
the grey iron fisted charismatic
who pledged
to forgive his colonial jailers
and forget the settler atrocities
soon bested the governor
in lording over state house
kenyatta and kanu at one time
showed so much promise
a promise of patriotic glory
a promise of a young nation
a promise of a land of freedom and justice
kenyatta and kanu
instead
ushered in misery
inspiring ngugi wa thiongo
to chronicle the tribulations
of the disenchanted children
of a misbegotten uhuru
kenyatta and kanu
killed the dream
of uhuru na kazi
umoja ni nguvu
sisi kwa sisi
prompting nyerere
to denounce kenya
as a man eat man society
between sixty three and seventy eight
kenyatta and his kanu/kadu cabinet
of thieves, murderers and liars
presided over a growing nightmare
as jm kariuki decried
the sad, mad reality
of a nation of ten millionaires
and ten million beggars
in the seventies and eighties
the chelagat mutais
the marie seroneys
the moseti anyonas
the mwachengu wa mwachofis
the lawrence sifunas
the chibule wa tsumas
the james orengos
the koigi wa wamweres
tried to keep alive
the voice of militant protest
in the silenced house of parliament
while the njonjos and the omamos
the oloitiptips and the mudavadis
the sharrif nassirs and the letichs
warned the wachache wasiotosheka
to watch out
the
silent torturers from
nyati house and nyayo house
went on
with their mundane
and macabre duties
hounding patriots
into dungeons and into exile
the benign fascism
of the old man
and his coterie
of corrupt thugs
engendered
a culture of silence and fear
that forced
dissent underground
and gave rise to
the cheche kenyas
the december twelve movements
the kenya anti-imperialist fronts
the mwakenyas
the ukenyas
the uwakes
the mdks and the hdks
the kenya revolutionary movements
and the me katilili revolutionary movements
neocolonial fascism
led to a flowering
of socialist clandestine organizing
that paved the way
for the rubias
the matibas
the imanyaras
the muites
and all the other
not so young turks
of the late eighties
and early nineties
even though
all these latter day saints
of the kenyan pro-democracy movement
claimed credit
for creating
kenya's second liberation
those of us
who had spent years
discussing and agitating for
national democracy
social justice
genuine freedom
true independence
for years and years
under the hostile gaze
of the secret police
and under the very nose
of the murderous warders
even though
the johnny come latelys
of the reform movement
were thumping their chests
only hours
after they had decamped
from top positions in kanu
those of us
who had opposed
the one party dictatorship
when
kibaki was still vice-president
and matiba still a minister
those of us
who remembered the
embarassing court poetry
of oloo aringo
and the virulent
the pathetic grovelings
of john keen
those of us who remembered
the mahihus
the nyachaes
the mathenges
the yusuf hajis
and the otieno osares
those of us
who remembered
the brutality
of the provincial administration
and the pettiness
of the local sub-chiefs
those of us
millions
of wananchi
who had borne the brunt
of the one party state for decades
now
merely chuckled
knowingly
as we marveled
at the political gymnastics
of the newly minted anti-moi opposition
twice
in this last decade
we have been through
two charades
masquerading
as multi-party elections
twice
in this last decade
we have seen
bankrupt opportunists
consumed
with a passion
for megalomania
squander
golden opportunities
of ridding
our tortured nation
of the blight of the
moi-kanu one party dictatorship
today
we watch
with growing horror and disgust
as the railas and imanyaras of yesteryear
the ex-detainees
and ex- targets
of state terrorism of days still fresh
we watch with growing disgust and horror
as our heroes from ninety-two
engage
in an insane competition
to verify
once for all
who
is the most depraved
sell-out
from the former
pro-democracy camp
for the future
of our children
and the prosperity
of our nation
we have refused
to wallow
in the tempting luxury
of cynicism
in the face
of the growing poverty
still we hope and hanker
for a new kenya
in the face
of fetid and putrid
corruption
still we fight
for a new kenya
in the face
of growing repression
and rampant injustice
still we sing
the fiery songs
of freedom and protest
in the face
of the devastating AIDS calamity
still we hold tight
for a healthier
new kenya
in the face
of growing violence
against women
still we work for
gender equality
in a new kenya
we have refused to give up
on the mau mau fighters
who sacrificed life, liberty and property
we have refused to give up
on the patriotic and progressive intelligentsia
who defiantly spoke the truth
we have refused to give up
on the militant and determined students and youth
we have refused to give up
on the tortured and harassed prisoners and exiles of
state repression
today
as kenya
prepares
to celebrate
her thirty seventh birthday
in neo-colonial captivity
we rededicate ourselves
to the struggle
for
freedom
equality
justice
independence
peace
and
unity
we refresh
our commitment
by reminding ourselves
of what ngugi told us
all those years ago:
there is no night
so long
that does not
end with
the break of dawn
(viii) No Pokomos in Polokwane
Saw
a bullet
proof vested
South African cop
Burly in his blue tunic
Smiling
idiotically
like
the Cheshire feline
of yore
for the eager
media cameras
Parading
before
the daylight inferno
In the middle of which
a young African
not from South Africa
on all fours
was crouching
stolidly
As he was
roasted alive
by a vengeful
foaming
frothing
mob
of black skinned
homegrown
delirious
xenophobes
Meting out
cowardly
injustice
to yet another
Amakwerekwere
Another African foreigner
What
was that bile
they were spewing
what was
that venom
they were spitting
what was that hate
They were baying
Something
like
No Pokomos in Polokwane
No Bembas in Bloemfontein
No Kikuyus in Kimberly
No Dinkas in Durban
No Malawians in Mpumalanga
In 2015 , just like 2013
and other recent years
domestic South Africans
hound and hunt
Africans
they deem foreign
They spit
the Amakwerekwere venom
at their African siblings
These Abantu
Who were once insulted
As Kaffirs on their own streets
In their own mother’s land
Today
These Abantu
devoid of Ubuntu
want none
of their sisters and brothers
From our Mother Land
Calling liberated South Africa
home to all of us Africans
Shame on you
Nephews and nieces
of Mkhulu Madiba
Shame!
Shame on you
Sons and daughters
of Zuma and Mbeki
Shame!
Shame on you
Sisters and brothers of
Chris Hani, Cheryl Carolus
Ruth First, Solomon Mahlangu
Basil February and Dulcie September
Shame!
Shame on you neighbours
Of Mac Maharaj and Ahmed Kathrada
Students of Jeremy Cronin and Bram Fischer
Shame!
Shame on you
cousins of Umkhonto we Sizwe and SACP comrades
Shame!
Forgetting who Patrice Lumumba was
Today you set on fire
Congolese refugees
seeking sanctuary
Not knowing what
the Tongogaras and the Mugabes
did for your country
You want to
knobkerrie to a bloody pulp
frightened Zimbabweans
Not remembering
how your stalwarts
were sheltered in Ethiopia
You make a blood sport out
of knifing fleeing Somali shopkeepers
Shame on you
xenophobic South Africans
shame!
I remember as a 16 year old in ‘76
Growing up
In Mombasa, Kenya
1976
the year of Oscar Petersen
1976
the year of the Soweto Uprising
1976
as a Kenyan teenager proud that
my compatriot Mike Boit
The best 800 metres runner
in 1976
Mike Boit the world beater
of his generation
Mike Boit opted to sacrifice
Olympic gold and a world record
At the 1976
Montreal games
By boycotting the Olympics
because South Africa’s
looming liberation
was more valuable
than a gold medal and world record
More recently
With Jamaicans, African-Americans,
Sri Lankans, Palestinians
Trinidadians and Guatemalans
We marched in the 1980s in North America
through Yonge Street in downtown Toronto
On our way to Nathan Phillips Square
for yet another rally
organized by Canada’s anti-apartheid movement
Chanting
down with Botha and De Klerk!
Free Mandela! Free Sisulu
Unban the ANC! Unban PAC! Unban SACP!
A few years down the road
After many demos and protests
Rallies and marches
In the spring of 1994,
almost exactly
twenty one years ago today
We ululated,
we danced half naked
In Côte-des-Neiges and Notre Dame de Grace
and all over Montreal, Quebec
Intoxicated with joy
Celebrating
with millions of South Africans
That just the previous day
Nelson Mandela was sworn in
as the first Black President of the new South Africa
And ANC was the new democratic government
in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town
Today you xenophobic South Africans
Who were toddlers
and runny nosed pre-teens
When Africa and the world
was fighting for your freedom
Today
you contemporary xenophobes
Have forgotten
how Africa
paid with blood, bombings and sanctions
For the prosperity
which you now think
Is your prerogative
to keep from your fellow Africans
Shame, shame
shame on you xenophobic South Africans
Shame!
Shame on you xenophobes!
Were you not sheltered
In Zambian urban estates
and Tanzanian rural villages
By the same people
you
Today
ignorantly
declare persona non grata
In Johannesburg and Pietermaritzburg
Shame on you
xenophobic South Africans
For turning worse
than the racist KKK goons
in the deep American South
Shame on you
xenophobic South Africans
For imposing de facto
Jim Crow on Kenyans and Ugandans
You ungrateful
xenophobic South Africans
You have conveniently
forgotten
How Mzalendo Samora Machel
was blown out of the sky
As Mozambicans paid the ultimate price
Donating their guerilla hero
for South Africa’s freedom
Shame, shame,
shame on you
xenophobic South Africans!
All over the African continent
In Accra, in Lagos, in Algiers
In Ougadougou, in Cairo
In Khartoum, in Antananarivo
In Kampala, in Luanda
In Yaounde, in Port Victoria
In Cape Verde, in Guinea Bissau
In Sao Tome and Principe
We all chanted
Amandla Nga Wethu!
We danced the toyi toyi
We intoned the earnest lyrics
Of your famous national anthem
Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika
With angry clenched fists
Over our determined chests
Praying with you
For freedom in your life time
Today you same
xenophobic South Africans
That we fought side by side with
Today you chase us
like rats
along the Durban beaches
Today you want to
hurtle us to our
ultimate untimely doom
From the 12th floor
of those Hillbrow
apartments in J’oburg
Where you used
to chuck your
dilapidated fridges and decrepit furniture
In that annual superstition
around New Year’s Day
Shame, shame
shame on you
xenophobic South Africans
I ask my SACP comrades
My brothers and sisters
Where are you
Dee Mashinini
Where are you
Comrade Sacky
Where are you
Comrade Mzala
fellow exiles in Tanzania
My fellow communists
and Radio Freedom programmers
who eagerly shared
Sechaba
and the African Communist
outside the ANC offices
in Mnazi Moja, Dar es Salaam
Tell me comrades
Tell me, Lucian
Tell me, Che Mathlako
Comrades
What happened
What happened to Uhuru na Uzalendo
What happened to Ubuntu
What happened to
Socialism and revolution
Pan Africanism and Internationalism
Tell me comrades
What happened
to the minds and souls
of millions of South Africans
Tell me comrades
When did xenophobic South Africans
lose their minds?
(xix)Poems from Madibaland
in salt river,
observatory,
delft, the former district six
all neighbourhoods
of the scenic
and storied cape town
i encounter
kenyans and friends of kenya
all perplexed and concerned
about the carnage,
the uncertainty
and other consequences
of kibaki's
electoral theft
in bez valley, bruma,
kensington
yeoville, hillbrow
and even within
pockets of leafy, plush sandton
and exclusive suburbian mid rand
all locales within
the city
nicknamed jozi and egoli
i accost
south africans
and kenyans in south africa
all hankering and wondering
about what we can do
do to heal kenya
do to restore democratic hope in kenya
do to reignite the forward march
of the justice train in kenya
this evening
i proceed to durban
where i hope to meet
sturdy dennis brutus
and his veteran comrades
exuding stubborn, hopeful determination
decades ago
kenyans
tanzanians
mozambicans
zambians, nigerians.
libyans
algerians
somalis
ethiopians
rwandese
cubans
americans
italians
japanese
and all those millions of people
rallied across the globe
for madiba and the fighting south african people
singing mayibuye i afrika
intoning nkosi sikilela
chanting amandla ngawethu
shouting
an injury to one is an injury to all
today it is the world's turn to say to the kenyan nation
a people united shall never be defeated
solidarity forever
we shall overcome
a lutta continua
pambana!
kenyans
let us not wallow
in depression and desperation
let not give in to defeatism and despair
think of kenya as one giant prison with all our people
as political prisoners
as a former political prisoner
i can assure you
that the cold and massive maximum penitentiary walls
can not shut out
the warm and passionate strength
of international solidarity
today is a continuation
along the inevitable path
to our eventual national victory
victory over state terrorism
victory over cabinet level grand corruption
victory over elitist engineered tribal rancour
victory over post electoral thieves
so, let us this day999999999
smile from ear to ear
right across from mombasa to malaba
moyale to namanga
(x)Hiroshima Peace Poem
six decades short
by one year
have elapsed
since a terrible surrender
was bombed out of the japanese
enola gay
obliterating
more than
two hundred
and fifty thousand
children, men and women
who had no quarrel
with their american people
fifty nine years
have gone by
since that terrible
crime against humanity
yet
the criminals
still walk free
flying over
other skies
dropping
their packets
of mass destruction
on other invaded,
subjugated and subhumanized people
six decades short
of a solitary year
enola gay
is fifty nine years old today
august 6th, 1945
was the unwanted birthday of
the japanese holocaust
hiroshima and nagasaki
is where
the tragic remembrance parties
are being held
a somber memorial with
no piñatas, no balloons, no cakes
only candles, paintings and songs
to recall that
morbid murderous mushroom
that announced
the arrival of the ultimate
suicide weapon
that could erase
every last one of us
on this blue marble
to eternal extinction
should a crazy
seven star general
in an imperialist uniform
gleefully decide
to take the bush doctrine
to its next logical step
and push
that dreaded button
thermonuclear meltdown
of the human race,
its achievements and conquests
is what we contemplate every year
as the pentagon
and their haliburton like corporate buddies
push for
the next smart bomb
the next computer guided missile
the next gizmo fitted killer helicopter
amani
means peace in kiswahili
as it does
in arabic
and a host of other tongues
yet
as we fight for peace
we marvel
at the obscenity
of the war criminals
who invade
entire countries
in order to impose
their own militarized version of peace
like the peace
currently prevailing
in kabul and kandahar
a peace that
is guaranteed by
women hating mullahs
who are clones of the taliban
but wear different head gear
like the peace
in falluja and nassiriya
the peace in
the west bank and nablus
the peace in darfur
how can we
achieve world peace
when war criminals
like kissinger
are given the nobel prize
and sent
on peacemaking missions
how can we achieve peace when
cynical thugs like ariel sharon
bomb to smithereens palestinian homes
and blame the victims for grenades
and missiles unloaded on them
how can we achieve world peace
when mass killers
like blair and bush
are seen by their supporters
for having made
the world safer for
democracy and progress
after demolishing
the seven thousand year
legacy of iraq’s contribution
to world civilization
on this friday in august
our thoughts
are with the japanese
in hiroshima and nagasaki
on this sixth day of august
our thoughts
are with the survivors
and descendants
of the japanese holocaust
what happened
to the war criminals
who dropped the atomic bomb
on gap toothed
school children and
dozing grandmothers
what happened
to the killers
of factory workers
and the murderers
of shop keepers
amani duniani
is what we say
peace in the world
is what we mean
amani duniani
is what we want
world peace
is what we are fighting for
to the japanese
we say
kenyans
stand by you
in fighting for peace
in keeping alive
the memory of
hiroshima and nagasaki
to residents of
hiroshima and nagasaki
we say
we are with you in spirit
because we know that
mombasa, kisumu,
nakuru, lunga lunga
busia, kakamega,
embu and other places
in our country kenya
could be
future hiroshimas
and potential nagasakis
and that is why
we kenyans
join the japanese
in fighting for peace in the world
amani duniani
amani duniani
tupiganie amani dunia
let us fight
for peace in the world
even if it means
picking up arms
to fight the war
that will end
all wars….
(xi)Poems for My Son, Sankie Sankara
O you vivacious child
full of beauty and intelligence
O you grown up boy
full of respect and friendship
What a gift you are
To me and your mother
and your step-father
and your brand new brother
and your best friend
and your neighbours
what a gem
what a sparkling diamond
you are
O you
vivacious, bodacious
beautiful and intelligent child!
(2)
A shining sun
a tree blooming with green
after the long grey winter
the pitter patter
of children
running in the streets
the roar of the
televised crowd
during the NBA playoffs
blockbuster movies
tee shirts
running shoes
and boxer shorts
all scream
loud and clear
Summer is here
So let the fun begin!
(3)
I am talking
about your
best friend Robert
It is not everyday
that you meet someone
who is closer
to you than
your own shadow
It is not everybody
you can claim
someone as a best friend
Friendship is like water
to a thirsty person in the desert
Cherish it
for you never know
When you
will be so blessed...
looking out
for one another
is better than
thinking
of only yourself
caring and sharing
is better than
boasting and bragging
two heads are
better than one
four hands
are stronger than two
side by side
hand in hand
you are stronger
keep on
looking out
for each other!!
(4)
There you are
Sitting on top of the world
There you are
looking ahead of you
on a clear day
Keep your eyes
on the prize
Tell yourself
I can do it
We can do it
Nothing
can stop us
If we keep on
trying and trying
(5)
To be a child
full of innocence
To be a child
full of hope
To be a child
full of questions
To be a child
full of energy
To be a child
full of love
To be a child
to be a child
is an experience
to be enjoyed
because it
never lasts forever
(6)
Remember
every time
you wake up
from a nightmare
That
even the darkest night
Can not keep
the new day
from breaking
Remember
every time
you are bullied
or picked on
That
even the longest winter
Can not
prevent the spring
from coming
Remember
every time
you stumble and fall
That
even the
heaviest snowstorm
Can not
stop the flowers
from growing
Remember
To smile
through your tears
Knowing that
the future is bright
And you are
that future
(7)
Success
Is about working
like a donkey
for what you want
Success is
not an accident
That happens
by chance
Success is not
like buying
a Lotto 649 ticket
Success is patience
Success is hard work
Success is humility
Success is discipline
Success is focus
(8)
Smile
from ear to ear
Show all your teeth
Laugh until
you can feel it
in your belly
Jump for joy
Dance with bliss
Skip for the thrills
Summer is here
And you deserve
To have some fun
After all those
Serious days
Working tirelessly
On your homework
Making sure you
Stay on top of things
At the top of your class
With your straight As
Smile from ear to ear
Laugh until your ribs hurt
Jump for joy
Have some fun
For you have earned it!!
(9)
yesterday you were
an infant
crawling on all fours
today you proudly lift
your baby brother
yesterday
you displayed
the gap
left by your
departed milk teeth
today you are revving up
for your school’s
athletic championships
(10)
sankie
life is a wonderful journey
and in this journey
years and decades
separate our innocent mornings
from our wise evenings
(11)
give thanks to your mother
for she has
sheltered and protected you
more than
any other person in the world
give thanks to your mother
for she breathed life
into you and nurtured you
for nine months
inside her body
and all the
years since then
give thanks
to your mother
for she loves you
give thanks to your mother
for she lives for you
give thanks
to your mother
she holds your hands
and nurses you
tucks you to sleep
and feeds you
when you wake up
give thanks to your mother
for she is your teacher,
your doctor,
your trainer
and your shield
give thanks to your mother
for there are
millions who
have no mother to thank
hug your mother
whenever you get a chance
snuggle with your mother
whenever you get a chance
Listen to her for she
will never do anything to hurt you
Your mother is
a wonderful human being
Don’t take her for granted
(12)
even though
i live hundreds of miles
away from you
you live inside me
each and every hour
of every day
even though
cities and provinces
separate us
my love for you
glues me to you
for now and ever more
I miss you
every single day
I love you,
yes you,
my lovely,
intelligent wonderful son
I look forward
to the hours
we spend together
walking through
parks
and by the lake front
travelling between
toronto and montreal
teasing and tricking
each other
hey, take care
and till the next time
I see you
your loving dad.
(13)
Last night
I had a dream
about you,
my son
Last night I dreamt
that you were
all grown up
I saw you
standing tall,
dressed in
wonderful African robes
I saw you
smile as you
spoke to
the hundreds of people
Who had come
to listen to you
And they heard
what you had to say
and they nodded
their heads
vigorously in agreement
Last night
I had a dream about you,
my son
And you were doing
the right things for our people
And even though
it was just a dream
I smiled
with tears of joy
lingering in my eyes
(14)
There are those
Who will put you down
Because of the
colour of your skin
There are those
who will turn you down
Because of the
texture of your hair
There are those
Who will keep you
away because
of your unique names
Yes,
kids of African descent
There are
those in this world
who are bigots
There are those
in this world
who are racist
There are those
in this world
Who are xenophobic
Boys,
when you meet such people
Ignore them,
pay them no mind
You are bigger than them
Because nothing
but hate, spite and envy
Lives in their unkind hearts
Don’t wast e your energy
hating them back
You’ve got better things
to do don’t you now
Remember
Africa
is the home of all humankind
Remember
our great great grandmothers
and grandfathers
Helped to make
Canada and America
what they are to day
Our people
gave the world
jazz, poetry blues,
reggae, hip hop and much more
Our people
contributed to
science and technology
We are proud
of all our achievements
not only in sports
But all other
human endeavours
We never said
we are better
than anybody
But we will never
accept that we
are inferior to anybody
So boys,
keep your heads up,
walk proudly
as African Canadian youth[/div]
[/div]
(i)Who is The Most Beautiful Woman in Kenya?
who is the most beautiful woman in kenya?
the most beautiful woman in kenya
is any woman in kenya
the most beautiful woman in kenya
is you, if you are a woman and you love yourself
the most beautiful woman in kenya
is your mother, my sister, your aunt, our neighbour
the most beautiful woman in kenya
is the woman wasting away in a hospital bed as aids ravages her body
the most beautiful woman is that blind student at kenyatta
the most beautiful woman in kenya is the teenager begging in the streets of nairobi
the most beautiful woman in kenya who has been taught
that your ass is too big, your legs too thin, your hair too coarse, your teeth too large, your breasts too small your waist too wide
the most beautiful woman in kenya is the woman who never bothered to enter the miss kenya pageant because her skin is darker than charcoal, her teeth browner than chocolate and her face rougher than sandpaper
the most beautiful woman in kenya is the seventy year old hunchback
the most beautiful woman in kenya is the woman who has never been told that she is beautiful
the most beautiful woman in kenya is the woman stocking up all those mercury laded skin lightners trying to outshine halle berry and tyra banks
the most beautiful woman in kenya is your old schoolmate who you used to tease and taunt because of her succulent lips
that you thought were too thick
but which every barbie doll on the paris runway/catwalk is desperately trying to replicate with generous infusions of silicon
the most beautiful woman in kenya is staring back at you
uncertainly
from your own bathroom mirror....
(ii)Wanjiku
Who is Wanjiku?
Wanjiku is a woman,
Wanjiku is a man
Wanjiku is young
Wanjiku is old
Wanjiku is a Kikuyu
Wanjiku is a Luo
Wanjiku is a Maasai
Wanjiku is a Mnandi
Wanjiku is a Chuka, Tharaka, Tigania, Chonyi,
Degodia, Ajuran, Sakuye,
Abasuba, Pokomo,
Mshela, Mpate, Mduruma
Wanjiku lives in Keroka and North Horr
Wanjiku is in London and Harare
Wanjiku is a market lady
Wanjiku is makanga
Wanjiku is a doctor
Wanjiku is an engineer
Who is Wanjiku?
Wanjiku is your mother and your father
Wanjiku is your neighbour and her daughter in law
Who is Wanjiku?
Wanjiku is in Jubilee
Wanjiku is in ODM
Wanjiku is in Amani
Wanjiku is a member of the DP and the LDP
Wanjiku is a life member of FORD-Kenya and founder of FORD-People
Wanjiku is in KANU and Sisi Kwa Sisi
Wanjiku is a Muslim
Wanjiku is a Christian
Wanjiku is a Hindu
Wanjiku is a conservative
Wanjiku is a communist
Who is Wanjiku, you ask?
You are Wanjiku, so is your brother
Wanjiku rides on a donkey-
When she is not driving her BMW
Wanjiku eats muthokoi
when she is not frying kadzora
Or kuon gi ngege
Wanjiku wears a hijab
when she is not bedecked in Maasai beads.
Wanjiku is a post-graduate fellow
Wanjiku never saw the inside of a
classroom.
Wanjiku does not have a computer and has never been online in her life.
Wanjiku’s other names are:
Tumaini
Uhuru
Umoja
Maendeleo
Haki
Usawa
Wanjiku loves her home which she calls Kenya.
(iii)The Killers of Our
Dreams
don’t want us to dream
the killers of our kenyan dreams
our dreams of peace
our dreams of national unity
our kenyan dreams of justice and equality
our kenyan dreams of a new democratic constitution
the killers of our dreams
don’t want us to dream
the killers of our kenyan dreams
want to kill us
that is why we should rise above the trivia
that is why we should transcend the inertia
the dementia of updating our facebook walls
with inane, lame and tired lines
drivel like
oh, I am so bored
limpid lines like
gosh, I am so drunk
throw away trash like
look at me, I am so fly
silly whines like
poor me, I am so dry
let us not be twittering twits
twittering tweets about
our ex romantic partners
and how we accosted them
doing the nasty stark naked
in the living room
with esther arunga doing ktn at one
let us not commit suicide
because our favourite
english premier league club
lost out to a superior la liga opponent
or was turfed out in a heartbreak concession
to a resilient bundesliga adversary
while we here in kenya
wallow in neo-colonial unglamorous squalor
let us remain
each and every one of us
not just mere
run of the mill
sometimish day wet dreamers
but focused, stubborn
hard working dreamers
never letting go
dreamers of dreams
dreaming undreamt dreams
dreaming forbidden, forsaken dreams
dreaming ex-communicated dreams
and I am not talking of x-rated dreams
of lusty fantasies and fornication orgies
but as we dream
let us wake up at the same time
and start moiling and toiling
struggling and working
day in, day out
week after week
month after month
year after year
decade after decade
struggling to make all those dreams
see the cold light of day
fellow dreamers
see yourself perched atop
the highest peak of mount Kenya
proudly hoisting aloft
our victory flag
visualize yourself
riding the most precarious crest
three hundred metres deep
into the kikambala beach
clinging tenaciously
to our banner of liberation
some of us started dreaming big
way back in our mid teens
in those half-forgotten
bell bottomed seventies
dreaming back then of freedom
of justice, of democracy
before we clasped hands
with other young dreamers
to start organizing
in the clandestine subterrains
for revolution, for socialism
now in the second decade
of a century some of our comrades
never got to see
we are now on the other side of forty five
smiling wistfully
as we observe our teen daughters
and twenty something sons
stirring with angst
as they too, dream their own dreams
in this digitized, networked, facebooked
viral marketed twenty first century
twittered demi-monde
and still we dream our dreams
meshing with their dreams
and musing their children’s future dreams
some of us
dream not of palatial dream homes
we dream not of cavernous garages
chock full of imported dream limos
we dream not of billions
stashed away in dozens
of overseas bank accounts
we dream not
of faking it
in that surreal charade
of allegedly making it
instead we still dream
stubbornly of that better world
we have been steadily yearning for
we dream still of another just society
we dream of a new day dawning
where women here and everywhere
will cherish the guaranteed equal rights
as we move beyond
the old disney world of misogyny, patriarchy and sexism
we dream of local, regional, national, continental
and global peace and prosperity
we hold on to our dreams
of international solidarity
even as we hanker fiercely
of a socialist milieu
overcoming this imperialist dystopia
so my sisters and my brothers
my comrades and my compatriots
let us be proud, confident, stubborn dreamers
dream if you are a dancer
for it will help you
choreograph your future
dream if you are a singer
as you lyrically weave today’s melodies
and tomorrow’s harmonies
dream if you are an actor
bringing dialogue and drama
to life in living colour
dream especially if
you are a poet
for your life is an epic
which has just barely begun…
(iv)The Sun Rises in the South
the arrogance and the machismo
of the italians
the cockiness and the swagger
of the argentinians
the braggadocio and the contempt
of the portuguese
the superciliousness
and overconfidence
of the russians
the chest thumping
and assumptions
of the french
all suddenly evaporated,
all vanished
all gone,
all swept away
by the incredible footwork
the surprising charisma
the enduring persistence
of the koreans, the senegalese
and other lesser southern lights
i chuckle as i observe
racist british commentators
on canadian television
choking, swallowing
their dismissive pronouncements
on asian and african football
that they so
freely dished out
only hours ago
the cinderelas
have refused to go home
the side show acts
have grabbed centre stage
the six o’clock news
is dominated by
the revelry in seoul,
kwangju and pyongyang
no italian flags this evening
on st. laurent
and other parts
of downtown montreal
no blaring car horns
along yonge street
and st. clair west in toronto
but there is
a party happening
all night in korea town
near the christie subway
and the african drums
will not be silenced
in cote des neiges,
notre dame des grace
eglinton west,
don mills and north york
tonight we hear
the clash and bong
of the korean drums
tonight
we dance to
the pulsating rythms
of the djembe and tam tams
and sing along
to the melodies
of ismael lo,
baaba maal and yousour ndour
tonight we celebrate
the coming of age
of african football
tonight we cheer
the wake up call
from asian soccer
tonight
we thumb our noses
at the colonial powers
who have poached
so much of africa’s
and asia’s talent
tonight
we howl on them
to bring it on
the one true champion
we all hold in awe
is still in the race
so let’s not
get ahead of ourselves
brazil
composed of
so much of africa
and aboriginal turtle island
and of working class
hungry youth from
the teeming favelas
brazil
is the one to beat
ronaldo,
rivaldo, roberto carlos
dunga
and all the other
dazzling talents
in the famous yellow
make us relive
the glories of the famous
peles and tostaos
suddenly for me,
the world cup has become
even more interesting
(v)Poet as the Embodiment of some Ukimwi carrying Kenyan Women in Mombasa
they have tried to bury us alive
with indifference
neglect
stigma and silence
but we are still alive
we the women of kenya
living positively
with this ukimwi
that we all fear
they have tried
to discard us
in the dustbins
of societal isolation
dump us
in the mitaro
of societal marginalization
but we are still alive
still kicking and struggling
we the women of kenya
living positively
with these killer virusi
surviving this deadly mdudu
in the western part
of our beautiful neo-colonized country
they call it ayaki
ayaki is the monster
that raids our bodies
and saps
or tries to sap our strength
oh
how this ogre
this monster is feared
and we are still alive
even as the ayaki
tries to yako us
and we are still alive
we the women of kenya
living positively
with this ukimwi
that we all fear
struggling defiantly
with this condition
that terrifies us all
we are like
the brave warrior sister
nyaitwika
from central kenya
who courageously
faced
the enemies of her people
staring down death
brushing off danger
saying
come and get me
o you vile foe
and we are still alive
we the women of kenya
living positively
with this immune depressing
robber of immunity
we are still alive
fighting on
hanging on
for another day
we are in
an unequal battle
and our soldiers
sometimes fall
valiantly
in fierce combat
with the cowardly
robber who ravishes
our essential essence
by whittling down
our bodies
sometimes we get sick
sometimes we despair
and very often we die
but for our children
we keep hanging on
fighting for
as long as we can
to stay alive
we the women of kenya
living positively
with this ukimwi
that we all fear
on the occasion
of international women's day
two thousand and five
here is
our message
to our fellow kenyans
our fellow sisters
and our fellow human beings
we are still alive
we the women of kenya
living in mombasa
malindi
kilifi
lamu
takaungu
voi
wundanyi
mazeras
mariakani
kaloleni
bura
ukunda
and all over pwani
we are still alive
we the women of kenya
living all over kenya
we need your solidarity
and your concrete support
we embrace your love
and your affection
we welcome your concern
and your care
but we can certainly do
without
your pity
we can certainly
do without
your patronizing
and your matronizing
we are not
statues of udongo
about to break
into pieces
at the slightest touch
we laugh
we cry
we eat
we sleep
we work
we play
we love
we fall out of love
and back again
we are women
just like other women
we are human beings
just like other human beings
we care about freedom
we care about democracy
we care about justice
we care about equality
when one
of our sisters is raped
we shake
with indignation
when one
of our aunties
is violently attacked
we too seek redress
and even vengeance
we have men in our lives
whom we love
and who love us back
and when we
are with them
we do what
other women
do with their men
our lives
including
our love lives
did not end the
day we found out
about the
unwelcome guests
who had
taken over our bodies
so we still love
but we love
ever so safely
ever so carefully
for if you love
you cannot
purposely harm
the one that you love
for if you love
you cannot
deliberately maim
that one that you adore
if we sat here
and told you
all our love stories
it would never end
and that is why
in closing
we say to
all the women of kenya
and women of the world
for international women's day
two thousand and five
let all the women of kenya
come together
in sisterhood
and solidarity
to support each other
irrespective of hiv status
let us not allow
medical walls
to separate us
we are all
the grand daughters
of me katilili
we are all the nieces
of wangari maathai
sisters of zarina patel
and cousins
of micere mugo
today we say with
our late spanish sister
la pasionaria dolores ibaruri:
no pasaran!
no pasaran
to those who block access
to better health
for kenyan women!
no pasaran!
no pasaran
to those who hate women
and their children
no pasaran!
no pasaran
to those who demonize
and vilify women
fighting for equality
no pasaran
to those
who are enemies of
democracy for
kenyan women
and kenyan men
today we say with
graca machel
frelimo
and the people of mozambique
a lutta continua
today we say
with winnie mandela
and the people of south africa
amandla nga wethu!
today we say with
assata shakur
and the african-american women of the states
no justice, no peace!
today we say with
rigoberta menchu
and the people of guatemala
el pueblo unido jamás será vencido
today we say with
vandana shiva
and the women of india
mother earth
and all her seeds
and resources belong
to the wretched of the earth!
today we say with
hanan ashrawi
and the people of falastin
sexists and misogynists:
yalla yalla
get out of our lives
let us push
our kenyan intifada
until ultimate victory
for all wananchi
especially women and their children
today we say with zap mama
and all progressive musicians and artists
it is never
too late to work
for a new world!
(vi)]To the Defenders of the Unborn
The defenders of the unborn
Run away from the newly born
The defenders of the unborn
Will take away the rights of women already born
The defenders of the unborn will scorn the lowly born
Even as they berate women who choose not to give birth
To a child condemned to squalor, want and possible abandonment
The defenders of the unborn
Say nothing to the irresponsible men who unleash their seeds
Straight into the wombs of women they refuse to support
Some of these men are the very defenders of the unborn
The defenders of the unborn
say nothing of the abortions
they have paid for
The defenders of the unborn
Mealy mouthed vile haters of women
Posing as lovers of children
they will never take care of
Where are the defenders of the unborn
When the children already born
are crying for milk
Where are the defenders of the unborn
When the children already born need shelter
Where are the defenders of the unborn
When the mothers of the unborn are looking
For guidance and condoms
to prevent the unborn
from being born
(vii)Samoeiit’s the fourth day
of the tenth month
or the fifth month
after she was painfully yanked away
from you
when a month’s candle
was almost gone
this evening
going through
the digital memories
of her laughter and smiles
made you scream
as if you had been
stabbed in the heart by a stiletto
o the pain of her sudden cruel passing
that screaming stab of a wailing scream
brought your auntie
and your two uncles
scampering ferociously
to your side
to wipe away the blood stained tears
gushing from your heart
now my dear niece
this guy who is your eldest uncle
he does not go to church on sundays
or observe ramadhan
I am no zen buddhist
armed with koans
nor a hindu garlanded
with sanskrit texts to recite
but a mere blogger
who pretends to be a poet
so please accept
these nocturnal digital lines
as makeshift handkerchiefs
to wipe away the
wounds of your reinjured pain
for I cry when you cry
i weep when you weep
i wail when you wail
you lost a mother
and i another sibling
a third one
this a second sister
that I did not
have the chance
to view one last time
before she was covered
under the mounds of kwa zulu earth
you lost a mother
who was also your father
your best friend
and your life long playmate
but dear niece
you are not alone
your two aunties
lost a second sister
your first cousins in jozi, paris and brussels
lost a loving auntie
your other uncle my younger brother
wept again
having recently buried a daughter
next to her mother and his father
i saw your mothers younger sister
wail demented
in kenya when the shock
of the news that her best friend
that she had spoken to
barely ten minutes previously
had collapsed and died
with the cellphone she was calling you
and her older sister with
clasped in her rigor mortared arm
dear niece
when i heard
the news from your sobbing aunt
at first I thought she was talking about
any of the four cousins
who shared your mother’s luo names
and then it hit me
that the oloo family
had lost another member
on the same day we
buried our eldest loving aunt
samoei
your name almost rhyhmes with samurai
i am sure some of your durban girlfriends
have wondered whether it is japanese in origin
but dear niece
let me tell you
samoei is a very kenyan name
it shares something with the japanese
is that it is named after a warrior
one of our greatest freedom fighters
who waged a ferocious campaign against the colonialists
for almost ten years
in full the name was
koitalel arap samoei
and no it was not a girl's name
or drawn from the luo
it is a name your paternal grandma
gave you from her nandi ancestry
so you are mixture of south african
luo and nandi roots
you are androgynous in terms of name
named after a glorious man
even as you grow up to be a beautiful black woman
i could regale you with tales of your coming greatness
but you are already my hero, shero
the other day
i saw your brilliant latest high school report
and came to congratulate you on an academic job well done
and you surprised me with your incredible modesty
pooh pooing that remarkable milestone
as your worst record yet
making me amazed
that if what i found excellent
was beneath your standards
i was yet to know which heights
you were able to soar to
samoei
let me end here
before it becomes an odyssey and
long running ode
keep up your excellence in class, in rugby, in soccer in track and field
not forgetting you are a budding musical maestro
your loving uncle
onyango oloo
who shares your mother's last name
(vii)To Our Mother Kenya on Her 37th Birthday
who remembers bamuinge
who remembers makhan singh
who remembers george morara
who remembers muindi mbingu
who remembers mary nyanjiru
who remembers mwangeka
who remembers koitalel
who remembers pio gama pinto
who remembers wasonga sijeyo
why is an avenue in mombasa
named after moi
rather than abdilatif abdalla
why is a street in nairobi
named after banda
rather than bildad kaggia
when is cege kibacia
going to come alive
in our history classrooms
when is micere and ngugi
going to come back to our theatres
who is to reassign alamin mazrui's
kilio cha haki
and kinyatti's
thunder from the mountains
into our national curriculum again
ten thousand mau mau fighters
refused to emerge from the forest
after the con trick of december sixty three
and soon kenyatta's white air force bomber pilots
were flushing out the klfa stalwarts
from their bushy and mountainous strongholds
oginga odinga
spat out not yet uhuru
and murumbi following in his wake
could only stomach
the stench of official corruption
for a few months
before retreating into private obscurity
a national mythology
has grown around the fake
baba wa taifa
who squandered a powerful legacy
as a cherished pan africanist
to head one of africa's
most avaricious looting families
mortgaging our nation to the west
in the process
the grey iron fisted charismatic
who pledged
to forgive his colonial jailers
and forget the settler atrocities
soon bested the governor
in lording over state house
kenyatta and kanu at one time
showed so much promise
a promise of patriotic glory
a promise of a young nation
a promise of a land of freedom and justice
kenyatta and kanu
instead
ushered in misery
inspiring ngugi wa thiongo
to chronicle the tribulations
of the disenchanted children
of a misbegotten uhuru
kenyatta and kanu
killed the dream
of uhuru na kazi
umoja ni nguvu
sisi kwa sisi
prompting nyerere
to denounce kenya
as a man eat man society
between sixty three and seventy eight
kenyatta and his kanu/kadu cabinet
of thieves, murderers and liars
presided over a growing nightmare
as jm kariuki decried
the sad, mad reality
of a nation of ten millionaires
and ten million beggars
in the seventies and eighties
the chelagat mutais
the marie seroneys
the moseti anyonas
the mwachengu wa mwachofis
the lawrence sifunas
the chibule wa tsumas
the james orengos
the koigi wa wamweres
tried to keep alive
the voice of militant protest
in the silenced house of parliament
while the njonjos and the omamos
the oloitiptips and the mudavadis
the sharrif nassirs and the letichs
warned the wachache wasiotosheka
to watch out
the
silent torturers from
nyati house and nyayo house
went on
with their mundane
and macabre duties
hounding patriots
into dungeons and into exile
the benign fascism
of the old man
and his coterie
of corrupt thugs
engendered
a culture of silence and fear
that forced
dissent underground
and gave rise to
the cheche kenyas
the december twelve movements
the kenya anti-imperialist fronts
the mwakenyas
the ukenyas
the uwakes
the mdks and the hdks
the kenya revolutionary movements
and the me katilili revolutionary movements
neocolonial fascism
led to a flowering
of socialist clandestine organizing
that paved the way
for the rubias
the matibas
the imanyaras
the muites
and all the other
not so young turks
of the late eighties
and early nineties
even though
all these latter day saints
of the kenyan pro-democracy movement
claimed credit
for creating
kenya's second liberation
those of us
who had spent years
discussing and agitating for
national democracy
social justice
genuine freedom
true independence
for years and years
under the hostile gaze
of the secret police
and under the very nose
of the murderous warders
even though
the johnny come latelys
of the reform movement
were thumping their chests
only hours
after they had decamped
from top positions in kanu
those of us
who had opposed
the one party dictatorship
when
kibaki was still vice-president
and matiba still a minister
those of us
who remembered the
embarassing court poetry
of oloo aringo
and the virulent
the pathetic grovelings
of john keen
those of us who remembered
the mahihus
the nyachaes
the mathenges
the yusuf hajis
and the otieno osares
those of us
who remembered
the brutality
of the provincial administration
and the pettiness
of the local sub-chiefs
those of us
millions
of wananchi
who had borne the brunt
of the one party state for decades
now
merely chuckled
knowingly
as we marveled
at the political gymnastics
of the newly minted anti-moi opposition
twice
in this last decade
we have been through
two charades
masquerading
as multi-party elections
twice
in this last decade
we have seen
bankrupt opportunists
consumed
with a passion
for megalomania
squander
golden opportunities
of ridding
our tortured nation
of the blight of the
moi-kanu one party dictatorship
today
we watch
with growing horror and disgust
as the railas and imanyaras of yesteryear
the ex-detainees
and ex- targets
of state terrorism of days still fresh
we watch with growing disgust and horror
as our heroes from ninety-two
engage
in an insane competition
to verify
once for all
who
is the most depraved
sell-out
from the former
pro-democracy camp
for the future
of our children
and the prosperity
of our nation
we have refused
to wallow
in the tempting luxury
of cynicism
in the face
of the growing poverty
still we hope and hanker
for a new kenya
in the face
of fetid and putrid
corruption
still we fight
for a new kenya
in the face
of growing repression
and rampant injustice
still we sing
the fiery songs
of freedom and protest
in the face
of the devastating AIDS calamity
still we hold tight
for a healthier
new kenya
in the face
of growing violence
against women
still we work for
gender equality
in a new kenya
we have refused to give up
on the mau mau fighters
who sacrificed life, liberty and property
we have refused to give up
on the patriotic and progressive intelligentsia
who defiantly spoke the truth
we have refused to give up
on the militant and determined students and youth
we have refused to give up
on the tortured and harassed prisoners and exiles of
state repression
today
as kenya
prepares
to celebrate
her thirty seventh birthday
in neo-colonial captivity
we rededicate ourselves
to the struggle
for
freedom
equality
justice
independence
peace
and
unity
we refresh
our commitment
by reminding ourselves
of what ngugi told us
all those years ago:
there is no night
so long
that does not
end with
the break of dawn
(viii) No Pokomos in Polokwane
Saw
a bullet
proof vested
South African cop
Burly in his blue tunic
Smiling
idiotically
like
the Cheshire feline
of yore
for the eager
media cameras
Parading
before
the daylight inferno
In the middle of which
a young African
not from South Africa
on all fours
was crouching
stolidly
As he was
roasted alive
by a vengeful
foaming
frothing
mob
of black skinned
homegrown
delirious
xenophobes
Meting out
cowardly
injustice
to yet another
Amakwerekwere
Another African foreigner
What
was that bile
they were spewing
what was
that venom
they were spitting
what was that hate
They were baying
Something
like
No Pokomos in Polokwane
No Bembas in Bloemfontein
No Kikuyus in Kimberly
No Dinkas in Durban
No Malawians in Mpumalanga
In 2015 , just like 2013
and other recent years
domestic South Africans
hound and hunt
Africans
they deem foreign
They spit
the Amakwerekwere venom
at their African siblings
These Abantu
Who were once insulted
As Kaffirs on their own streets
In their own mother’s land
Today
These Abantu
devoid of Ubuntu
want none
of their sisters and brothers
From our Mother Land
Calling liberated South Africa
home to all of us Africans
Shame on you
Nephews and nieces
of Mkhulu Madiba
Shame!
Shame on you
Sons and daughters
of Zuma and Mbeki
Shame!
Shame on you
Sisters and brothers of
Chris Hani, Cheryl Carolus
Ruth First, Solomon Mahlangu
Basil February and Dulcie September
Shame!
Shame on you neighbours
Of Mac Maharaj and Ahmed Kathrada
Students of Jeremy Cronin and Bram Fischer
Shame!
Shame on you
cousins of Umkhonto we Sizwe and SACP comrades
Shame!
Forgetting who Patrice Lumumba was
Today you set on fire
Congolese refugees
seeking sanctuary
Not knowing what
the Tongogaras and the Mugabes
did for your country
You want to
knobkerrie to a bloody pulp
frightened Zimbabweans
Not remembering
how your stalwarts
were sheltered in Ethiopia
You make a blood sport out
of knifing fleeing Somali shopkeepers
Shame on you
xenophobic South Africans
shame!
I remember as a 16 year old in ‘76
Growing up
In Mombasa, Kenya
1976
the year of Oscar Petersen
1976
the year of the Soweto Uprising
1976
as a Kenyan teenager proud that
my compatriot Mike Boit
The best 800 metres runner
in 1976
Mike Boit the world beater
of his generation
Mike Boit opted to sacrifice
Olympic gold and a world record
At the 1976
Montreal games
By boycotting the Olympics
because South Africa’s
looming liberation
was more valuable
than a gold medal and world record
More recently
With Jamaicans, African-Americans,
Sri Lankans, Palestinians
Trinidadians and Guatemalans
We marched in the 1980s in North America
through Yonge Street in downtown Toronto
On our way to Nathan Phillips Square
for yet another rally
organized by Canada’s anti-apartheid movement
Chanting
down with Botha and De Klerk!
Free Mandela! Free Sisulu
Unban the ANC! Unban PAC! Unban SACP!
A few years down the road
After many demos and protests
Rallies and marches
In the spring of 1994,
almost exactly
twenty one years ago today
We ululated,
we danced half naked
In Côte-des-Neiges and Notre Dame de Grace
and all over Montreal, Quebec
Intoxicated with joy
Celebrating
with millions of South Africans
That just the previous day
Nelson Mandela was sworn in
as the first Black President of the new South Africa
And ANC was the new democratic government
in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town
Today you xenophobic South Africans
Who were toddlers
and runny nosed pre-teens
When Africa and the world
was fighting for your freedom
Today
you contemporary xenophobes
Have forgotten
how Africa
paid with blood, bombings and sanctions
For the prosperity
which you now think
Is your prerogative
to keep from your fellow Africans
Shame, shame
shame on you xenophobic South Africans
Shame!
Shame on you xenophobes!
Were you not sheltered
In Zambian urban estates
and Tanzanian rural villages
By the same people
you
Today
ignorantly
declare persona non grata
In Johannesburg and Pietermaritzburg
Shame on you
xenophobic South Africans
For turning worse
than the racist KKK goons
in the deep American South
Shame on you
xenophobic South Africans
For imposing de facto
Jim Crow on Kenyans and Ugandans
You ungrateful
xenophobic South Africans
You have conveniently
forgotten
How Mzalendo Samora Machel
was blown out of the sky
As Mozambicans paid the ultimate price
Donating their guerilla hero
for South Africa’s freedom
Shame, shame,
shame on you
xenophobic South Africans!
All over the African continent
In Accra, in Lagos, in Algiers
In Ougadougou, in Cairo
In Khartoum, in Antananarivo
In Kampala, in Luanda
In Yaounde, in Port Victoria
In Cape Verde, in Guinea Bissau
In Sao Tome and Principe
We all chanted
Amandla Nga Wethu!
We danced the toyi toyi
We intoned the earnest lyrics
Of your famous national anthem
Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika
With angry clenched fists
Over our determined chests
Praying with you
For freedom in your life time
Today you same
xenophobic South Africans
That we fought side by side with
Today you chase us
like rats
along the Durban beaches
Today you want to
hurtle us to our
ultimate untimely doom
From the 12th floor
of those Hillbrow
apartments in J’oburg
Where you used
to chuck your
dilapidated fridges and decrepit furniture
In that annual superstition
around New Year’s Day
Shame, shame
shame on you
xenophobic South Africans
I ask my SACP comrades
My brothers and sisters
Where are you
Dee Mashinini
Where are you
Comrade Sacky
Where are you
Comrade Mzala
fellow exiles in Tanzania
My fellow communists
and Radio Freedom programmers
who eagerly shared
Sechaba
and the African Communist
outside the ANC offices
in Mnazi Moja, Dar es Salaam
Tell me comrades
Tell me, Lucian
Tell me, Che Mathlako
Comrades
What happened
What happened to Uhuru na Uzalendo
What happened to Ubuntu
What happened to
Socialism and revolution
Pan Africanism and Internationalism
Tell me comrades
What happened
to the minds and souls
of millions of South Africans
Tell me comrades
When did xenophobic South Africans
lose their minds?
(xix)Poems from Madibaland
in salt river,
observatory,
delft, the former district six
all neighbourhoods
of the scenic
and storied cape town
i encounter
kenyans and friends of kenya
all perplexed and concerned
about the carnage,
the uncertainty
and other consequences
of kibaki's
electoral theft
in bez valley, bruma,
kensington
yeoville, hillbrow
and even within
pockets of leafy, plush sandton
and exclusive suburbian mid rand
all locales within
the city
nicknamed jozi and egoli
i accost
south africans
and kenyans in south africa
all hankering and wondering
about what we can do
do to heal kenya
do to restore democratic hope in kenya
do to reignite the forward march
of the justice train in kenya
this evening
i proceed to durban
where i hope to meet
sturdy dennis brutus
and his veteran comrades
exuding stubborn, hopeful determination
decades ago
kenyans
tanzanians
mozambicans
zambians, nigerians.
libyans
algerians
somalis
ethiopians
rwandese
cubans
americans
italians
japanese
and all those millions of people
rallied across the globe
for madiba and the fighting south african people
singing mayibuye i afrika
intoning nkosi sikilela
chanting amandla ngawethu
shouting
an injury to one is an injury to all
today it is the world's turn to say to the kenyan nation
a people united shall never be defeated
solidarity forever
we shall overcome
a lutta continua
pambana!
kenyans
let us not wallow
in depression and desperation
let not give in to defeatism and despair
think of kenya as one giant prison with all our people
as political prisoners
as a former political prisoner
i can assure you
that the cold and massive maximum penitentiary walls
can not shut out
the warm and passionate strength
of international solidarity
today is a continuation
along the inevitable path
to our eventual national victory
victory over state terrorism
victory over cabinet level grand corruption
victory over elitist engineered tribal rancour
victory over post electoral thieves
so, let us this day999999999
smile from ear to ear
right across from mombasa to malaba
moyale to namanga
(x)Hiroshima Peace Poem
six decades short
by one year
have elapsed
since a terrible surrender
was bombed out of the japanese
enola gay
obliterating
more than
two hundred
and fifty thousand
children, men and women
who had no quarrel
with their american people
fifty nine years
have gone by
since that terrible
crime against humanity
yet
the criminals
still walk free
flying over
other skies
dropping
their packets
of mass destruction
on other invaded,
subjugated and subhumanized people
six decades short
of a solitary year
enola gay
is fifty nine years old today
august 6th, 1945
was the unwanted birthday of
the japanese holocaust
hiroshima and nagasaki
is where
the tragic remembrance parties
are being held
a somber memorial with
no piñatas, no balloons, no cakes
only candles, paintings and songs
to recall that
morbid murderous mushroom
that announced
the arrival of the ultimate
suicide weapon
that could erase
every last one of us
on this blue marble
to eternal extinction
should a crazy
seven star general
in an imperialist uniform
gleefully decide
to take the bush doctrine
to its next logical step
and push
that dreaded button
thermonuclear meltdown
of the human race,
its achievements and conquests
is what we contemplate every year
as the pentagon
and their haliburton like corporate buddies
push for
the next smart bomb
the next computer guided missile
the next gizmo fitted killer helicopter
amani
means peace in kiswahili
as it does
in arabic
and a host of other tongues
yet
as we fight for peace
we marvel
at the obscenity
of the war criminals
who invade
entire countries
in order to impose
their own militarized version of peace
like the peace
currently prevailing
in kabul and kandahar
a peace that
is guaranteed by
women hating mullahs
who are clones of the taliban
but wear different head gear
like the peace
in falluja and nassiriya
the peace in
the west bank and nablus
the peace in darfur
how can we
achieve world peace
when war criminals
like kissinger
are given the nobel prize
and sent
on peacemaking missions
how can we achieve peace when
cynical thugs like ariel sharon
bomb to smithereens palestinian homes
and blame the victims for grenades
and missiles unloaded on them
how can we achieve world peace
when mass killers
like blair and bush
are seen by their supporters
for having made
the world safer for
democracy and progress
after demolishing
the seven thousand year
legacy of iraq’s contribution
to world civilization
on this friday in august
our thoughts
are with the japanese
in hiroshima and nagasaki
on this sixth day of august
our thoughts
are with the survivors
and descendants
of the japanese holocaust
what happened
to the war criminals
who dropped the atomic bomb
on gap toothed
school children and
dozing grandmothers
what happened
to the killers
of factory workers
and the murderers
of shop keepers
amani duniani
is what we say
peace in the world
is what we mean
amani duniani
is what we want
world peace
is what we are fighting for
to the japanese
we say
kenyans
stand by you
in fighting for peace
in keeping alive
the memory of
hiroshima and nagasaki
to residents of
hiroshima and nagasaki
we say
we are with you in spirit
because we know that
mombasa, kisumu,
nakuru, lunga lunga
busia, kakamega,
embu and other places
in our country kenya
could be
future hiroshimas
and potential nagasakis
and that is why
we kenyans
join the japanese
in fighting for peace in the world
amani duniani
amani duniani
tupiganie amani dunia
let us fight
for peace in the world
even if it means
picking up arms
to fight the war
that will end
all wars….
(xi)Poems for My Son, Sankie Sankara
O you vivacious child
full of beauty and intelligence
O you grown up boy
full of respect and friendship
What a gift you are
To me and your mother
and your step-father
and your brand new brother
and your best friend
and your neighbours
what a gem
what a sparkling diamond
you are
O you
vivacious, bodacious
beautiful and intelligent child!
(2)
A shining sun
a tree blooming with green
after the long grey winter
the pitter patter
of children
running in the streets
the roar of the
televised crowd
during the NBA playoffs
blockbuster movies
tee shirts
running shoes
and boxer shorts
all scream
loud and clear
Summer is here
So let the fun begin!
(3)
I am talking
about your
best friend Robert
It is not everyday
that you meet someone
who is closer
to you than
your own shadow
It is not everybody
you can claim
someone as a best friend
Friendship is like water
to a thirsty person in the desert
Cherish it
for you never know
When you
will be so blessed...
looking out
for one another
is better than
thinking
of only yourself
caring and sharing
is better than
boasting and bragging
two heads are
better than one
four hands
are stronger than two
side by side
hand in hand
you are stronger
keep on
looking out
for each other!!
(4)
There you are
Sitting on top of the world
There you are
looking ahead of you
on a clear day
Keep your eyes
on the prize
Tell yourself
I can do it
We can do it
Nothing
can stop us
If we keep on
trying and trying
(5)
To be a child
full of innocence
To be a child
full of hope
To be a child
full of questions
To be a child
full of energy
To be a child
full of love
To be a child
to be a child
is an experience
to be enjoyed
because it
never lasts forever
(6)
Remember
every time
you wake up
from a nightmare
That
even the darkest night
Can not keep
the new day
from breaking
Remember
every time
you are bullied
or picked on
That
even the longest winter
Can not
prevent the spring
from coming
Remember
every time
you stumble and fall
That
even the
heaviest snowstorm
Can not
stop the flowers
from growing
Remember
To smile
through your tears
Knowing that
the future is bright
And you are
that future
(7)
Success
Is about working
like a donkey
for what you want
Success is
not an accident
That happens
by chance
Success is not
like buying
a Lotto 649 ticket
Success is patience
Success is hard work
Success is humility
Success is discipline
Success is focus
(8)
Smile
from ear to ear
Show all your teeth
Laugh until
you can feel it
in your belly
Jump for joy
Dance with bliss
Skip for the thrills
Summer is here
And you deserve
To have some fun
After all those
Serious days
Working tirelessly
On your homework
Making sure you
Stay on top of things
At the top of your class
With your straight As
Smile from ear to ear
Laugh until your ribs hurt
Jump for joy
Have some fun
For you have earned it!!
(9)
yesterday you were
an infant
crawling on all fours
today you proudly lift
your baby brother
yesterday
you displayed
the gap
left by your
departed milk teeth
today you are revving up
for your school’s
athletic championships
(10)
sankie
life is a wonderful journey
and in this journey
years and decades
separate our innocent mornings
from our wise evenings
(11)
give thanks to your mother
for she has
sheltered and protected you
more than
any other person in the world
give thanks to your mother
for she breathed life
into you and nurtured you
for nine months
inside her body
and all the
years since then
give thanks
to your mother
for she loves you
give thanks to your mother
for she lives for you
give thanks
to your mother
she holds your hands
and nurses you
tucks you to sleep
and feeds you
when you wake up
give thanks to your mother
for she is your teacher,
your doctor,
your trainer
and your shield
give thanks to your mother
for there are
millions who
have no mother to thank
hug your mother
whenever you get a chance
snuggle with your mother
whenever you get a chance
Listen to her for she
will never do anything to hurt you
Your mother is
a wonderful human being
Don’t take her for granted
(12)
even though
i live hundreds of miles
away from you
you live inside me
each and every hour
of every day
even though
cities and provinces
separate us
my love for you
glues me to you
for now and ever more
I miss you
every single day
I love you,
yes you,
my lovely,
intelligent wonderful son
I look forward
to the hours
we spend together
walking through
parks
and by the lake front
travelling between
toronto and montreal
teasing and tricking
each other
hey, take care
and till the next time
I see you
your loving dad.
(13)
Last night
I had a dream
about you,
my son
Last night I dreamt
that you were
all grown up
I saw you
standing tall,
dressed in
wonderful African robes
I saw you
smile as you
spoke to
the hundreds of people
Who had come
to listen to you
And they heard
what you had to say
and they nodded
their heads
vigorously in agreement
Last night
I had a dream about you,
my son
And you were doing
the right things for our people
And even though
it was just a dream
I smiled
with tears of joy
lingering in my eyes
(14)
There are those
Who will put you down
Because of the
colour of your skin
There are those
who will turn you down
Because of the
texture of your hair
There are those
Who will keep you
away because
of your unique names
Yes,
kids of African descent
There are
those in this world
who are bigots
There are those
in this world
who are racist
There are those
in this world
Who are xenophobic
Boys,
when you meet such people
Ignore them,
pay them no mind
You are bigger than them
Because nothing
but hate, spite and envy
Lives in their unkind hearts
Don’t wast e your energy
hating them back
You’ve got better things
to do don’t you now
Remember
Africa
is the home of all humankind
Remember
our great great grandmothers
and grandfathers
Helped to make
Canada and America
what they are to day
Our people
gave the world
jazz, poetry blues,
reggae, hip hop and much more
Our people
contributed to
science and technology
We are proud
of all our achievements
not only in sports
But all other
human endeavours
We never said
we are better
than anybody
But we will never
accept that we
are inferior to anybody
So boys,
keep your heads up,
walk proudly
as African Canadian youth
[/div]