Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever

7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever

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WORD PICTURES I:

POETRY FOREVER

EDGAR ODONGKARA


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For poetry, beginnings, rawness

For love, God, life, nature, me

For teenage, joy, depression

For waking up and getting lost

For them who occupied my heart then

For ushering in the new, out with the old

All poetry written before 2011


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PROLOGUE: A VERSE

I spent my hours and days writing verse; for you to readI spent my brains coming up with; the best suiting wordsI strained my soul on inspiration but what has it come to?

Vanity. Vanity. PURE VANITY!

I want to spend my hours and writing; verse for you to doI want to appease and gratify the souls; that seek this that I write

I want to inspire the fathers, sons, grandsonsAnd all who come after me.

The lyrics that I write could be hell-bent on annoying or amusingBefore you read with your soul, I urge you to read with your mind

Because I could take you to the high heavens; andWithout remorse through the back door to hell.

Mysteries and parables and clues and secrets, that

A poet can't keep to himself are in the poem.Read the poem into your life.

Read the mind of the poet and be amused,Or touched by his suffering, pain or utter joy.

My work is to harmonise the words;That describes the feeling,

And you, to feel the feeling that I also have,And be happy in spirit with me.

So help me God, to write verse that you,And I could do together.


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POETRY AND ME


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MY LOVE

My creator gave me a chance, to designThe woman that I wanted. Now listen!

I curved out an oval face.I gave her big, clear, watery eyes.

I made her lips luscious as the devil's taunts.I gave her a belly and button that made her;

My Arabian princess or maybe Egyptian.I made her bottom the top.

Her jewelry glittered as gold.Then I made love to her in each word,

Making each moan last a phrase.The heat was in each line.

The orgasm washed over each thought.

But I had made a mistake.The passion I gave her brought want.

Need, I could handle but 'WANT', I couldn't.Those other molesters, defilers and rapists

Tilted her in all angles.She was in pieces, obliterated and left in the cold.Then she came home as the Prodigal Daughter.

Now, I'm here, mending the broken pieces; joiningWashing and plastering each wound

Mending each broken bone with a tear from my eye.I crave for beauty and the realisation of her beauty,

By the rogues that traverse the face of the earth.Feel the bitterness and sweetness in each word.

Let it cause your body to feel tingly like a soft wind.Cuddle this POETRY, my love, with care

And let it provide you with indefinite pleasure.


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AT THE HEM OF MADNESS

I am having dreams; day and nightDreams of my father, smiling at meHis face speaking of a great delight,

So to say, stars that light the sky.

I am right, on sight.I am having dreams; of gloom and darkness

Have you seen 'no life' before? No, but I haveBut of course, you only see 'no life' when,

You have no life. So it is not a dream,It is a blackened memory.

I am having dreams; day and nightOf this girl I'm looking at,

Of the summertime sunshine,Of the caresses and kisses I could give her,

Of the warmth, sweetness and moisture to share

We could make magic.I am having dreams;

Of cold solitude and winter without her,Of sickness, pain and her departing from me,

Of breaking into pieces, crying and dying.After all this, it is not a dream,

It is the true reality.

I am having dreams; day and nightDreams of my sister, good dreams only.She works hard to get what she wants.

Never ranting about and falling at the challenge.

She defines principle, decisiveness.I am having dreams,

Of a cold, ruthless woman,Of a savage born out of love,

Of a cold black stone,That could heal you from a snake bite.

Now, I'm dreaming reality.

I am having dreams; day and nightOf my mother, who chose us over everything.

Is she contented where she is?Does she regret having children

Such as I and she, my sister?She says to me that she will think about this

When all the work she has to do is done.But before that, no.

I am having dreams; day and nightOf myself, of what I am,

And what I think I am supposed to be.I think I will be great, famous.

My ego disturbs me every now and then.I feel like a fool who is being dragged along.

It is as though there is this other person,

Manipulating, exploiting and draining me of wisdom.I just can't seem to take my stand against him.


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He warns me that disobeying him hurts only me.I'm scared and can't get the hell out of this trap.

I am arrogant, proud and completely nonchalant.That's the effect of him on me.It has got me to think, though,

That we are supposed to live together, probably

But I will not admit to that for now,Otherwise, I might be in downhill motion.

I am having dreams;Of being absorbed by the fires of hell,

Of being tracked down by demons,And all of hell's hounds.

Have you seen a problem that never stops trying you?Yes, that's a demon. Rogue creature, that one.

I have no fear of lying cold in a casket,Neither of hanging that man, Greatness.

But the thoughts tease, scare the wits out of me.Being six feet under is not rest; rotting away,

That's a true nightmare.


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SUNNY DAYS

At sunrise;One ray, one wish; one song

As the mist turns to dewMy father sings a soggy chorus to his crew

But I hope that there will be a hot morning stewThen I will feel nice.

Easy like a sunny, Sunday morning.

At scorch time;Bring me some scotch,

But I promise I won't be like my fatherBut I will sing a sensual song; ratherWith this little melody from my father;

Easy, son. Don't push it;Let the wind rush it.

When you hear the leaves ruffle

Then you know you can haggle.Easy, son. Don't push it;

Let the wind rush it.Down to the very last one.

Beautiful, so beautifulBut sweat oozes out of the pores

Of my head.

At sunset;Each ray disappears;

Fast as a rebel who fights for a good causeBut I'm with my father.

Can we sing you a sad song? Yes.I was walking down the coast

With my cup to make toastA policeman came to the beach

Just to make me toastSo I called him share my little, little beer

Because I knew if he was drunk, then he wouldn't dareBut I forgot. My beer wasn't enough to make him drunk.

So my father taught me to sing;Hey, Mr Policeman,

Don't try to shoot me down

Why are you trying to shoot me downWhen I'm just a drunk man in the sand?

An ethanol-filled encore by me and my father.


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THE CREATOR AND HIS OWN

The wind blows as the rags swingAs if swinging is their only work

The coolness comes but not to all.It is segregate to the few who made it cold.

I mean, giving the creator hard time!It has never benefited anyone.

Instead of being grateful for beingSome are acting like swine.

Say big-headed, no.It is pig-headed.

When I meant to rhyme, a wordCut into my way to break the line.But I still have my mind. I did notLet my creations drive me insane.

It makes me think how God feelsTo see all these rascals and infidels He created

Disobey Him. Stupid sots.He must be hitting His head hard,

Against any brick wall,Weighed down with regret,

For making that covenant with NoahOr sacrificing His own son.

I bet He feels like striking us down,With lightning.

So I feel,

As I try to make these wordsObey me,

To say what I wantWithout being misunderstood

I am at war,But I, the creator, will soar.

And so be it.


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SOUL REBEL

I'm a rebel, soul rebel;I'm a wanderer; soul adventurer

Resistance is a part of me.A portion of my spirit lives

Born by the revolutionRevolting everything you say

I know that your oppressive philosophyIs not the true way to live.


I will not use violenceBut I will be militantThis is a movement,

A segment; of disagreementThe evolution of a people

Who have solutions.


We shall fight your waysWith the same guns and bombs

Complete disobedienceThe system is imperial, defeatist

And fascist.


The moon is up and brightWalking in the light

At six past midnightNo traitor will survive this,

Ambush in the night.


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LIFE AND

OTHER

POEMS


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ABOUT LIFE

I always try to write about life,And all his unfairness,

But the thought always eludes me.I meditate and think and muse,

But all is just a fleeting illusion.Little tempting flashes that I jump at

But can't reach.A fading fantastical dream.

What really is life?


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LIFE

When an offspring is born,We are all smiles

We run into happiness' milesForgetting all pains of past times

It is good to feel goodTo say thank you, Lord, when,

You're on the good side of good.We give thanks and praises,

To the life the Lord gives,To the power and might of the Lord.

They glow with smiles,And grow with time.

Without foresight, they cameNo anticipation, none

Of the failures and struggles, trialsThat came with maturity.

Even after the labours and toils and sweat,They afford the effort to smile it off.They claim all is well when actually,

Nothing is.They despair, even in pretense.

The meaning of life can't be realisedOr seen by the living that tread

This earth.


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DEATH

It is dreaded and fearedEven when it comes in the best way.

It is the end of a journey,Successful or not.

They have worked,To gain all they could

To achieve all the earth could giveWhile gaining nothing.

They struggle to make ends meet andForget to make their own ends meet.

It has to come. The problem is,We don't how or when.We are left in sorrow,

When one chooses the heavenly realms.

The dead will never know the meaning ofDeath, for it is their world.

Life and all that lives on earth,All is left behind. None taken.

Efforts are wasted on endIniquity used by the wicked living

Futility and vanity achievedThey are happy, all the wealth.

But in the end, in death,

Life means this: EVERYTHING.


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OFFICIAL

To lie is to lie in a lion's denTo fool oneself is to become the folly of the world

To challenge oneself is to assume heavenly environs

We never lieBut we tell lies

We are never badBut we do bad things, so

Shall we not be the folly of our world?


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FLATTER, FUN,

FANTASIES


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WITNESS

She had those big black watery eyesThe beam of mine eye could not contend

The beam of her eye cut my heartThe big drops of pearly tears mended the wound

Pain and pleasure in oneThe feeling, really confusing

The mind didn't know but the soul didA head-on collision

A lockdown

She smiled, colourful as the feather of a peacockHer laughter graceful as a white dove

At least, I sawAnd I am forever greater and grateful

Not all men have my eyesI managed to see an angel, and them

All they saw was white lightCut my soul, I am a winner already.


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MARY

Mary was this girl,She was not beautiful, she was attractive.

She made all the boys turn head and I, leg.Mary had a tail, lashed it like a horsewhip.

As other bulls fought, I looked on.I smiled at her, and so did she.

I ran into the bush.A cow and a bull, two love children.

I touched her and so did she.I tickled her. She spiraled like a kitten.

Mary was not divine but chronic.She infected me like a venereal disease.

Only she could heal it.


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YOUR WALK

I perch under the porchI glance around

I see the blue shade of the skyIt seems to be turning into my own

Nothing to lighten me up

I look down and at onceI look up again

And I see you glidingStrolling down the dusty pathway

With ease

You move with fluidityLeaving me with both agony and ecstasy

You flow like a riverYour walk is as smooth as of a pony

All good, no bad.I am befuddled at the sight, transfixed

Utterly spellboundTotally dumbfounded

Yet discretely bewitchedSee, now you can see effect of you on me.


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FALSETTO

Hills and valleysThrough these I walk

I am a wandererFor through the wilderness I walk

High pitched reverberationsThese, I hear from distances away

I am reminded by myselfThey are of my own. My falsetto.

The wilderness does not like meSo then, I run forth into;

A place unknownTo the men of this earth

With stealth, I enter like a thief

But someone has realised my entryA voice not of my own

Calling out my name

I glide along for I long to knowWhere it comes from.

Who is it that knows of me,That I don't know of?

She is the queen of this, my land,Crying out for me?


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RUDE

AWAKENING


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LOST ONES

They went searching,Searching for what they know not

We warned them.This risk wasn't worth it.

They lost their souls.Who took them?

Even they don't know.

The wind and the money!As the wind blew left

The money was moving rightTheir souls got caughtIn that fierce whirlwind

They were carried to a faraway placeOn the Islands of Bermuda

They can't even reach thereOr the triangle will also swallow them

There is stillness. Even the air is.The lost ones are calling the Lord

Lord, have mercy, once again.The stupid fools

Money is a mirageWind is an illusion

Or maybe a virtual conceptMoney is not a measure of wealthBut a mere medium of exchange,

And acquisition.The wind chasers are soon lost

The Lord has come thro' with his mercyBut there are those who don't learn!


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LIGHT IS DARK

She said to me, I want to,See what you see

Touch what you touchFeel what you feel.

But she can't see what I seeOr touch what I touch

Or feel what I feel. Why?To her, light is dark.

She said to me, I can,See but I can't see

Touch but I can't touchFeel but can't feel.

But I can't see what she sees

Or touch what she touchesOr feel what she feels.

To her, darkness is light.

But she never showed itHer black pupils never showed itShe looked at me so passionately

That I couldn't see:She is blind or am I?


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NO MERCY

Why does it have to be this way?Lord, you left me locked

At the hands of her mercyI am a prisoner of hers

A dog beaten downNo sympathyOn a leash

Free me. I want to be freeShe doesn't see me

I am a foolTried, tested and timeless

Blackout!


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ACHOLIGIRL

Dark, with white eyes, dark pupilsA wrinkle that disfigures the tired faceA sun dried skin after days of hardship

Moving from the papyrus swamp;

But with that pot on your headThe firewood that 'disabled' your spine

The dry earth you break every day with a blunt hoeTo sleep with no sleep as

The devil lurks in your homesteadTo run from the devil from Pageya to Pece

To sleep on the verandasThe cold nights to the scorching afternoons

To return to a destroyed homestead;A full 'stomach' with poverty and hunger

Soothing a defiled soul;The tears held back for there is no one to cry to

Mothers of mine,It is not where but how we stand in the struggle


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QUICK DEATH

To aggravate the wound of a lionTo aggrandise oneself

To be poorTo desert a woman

To dream with no actionTo be an island

To be ignorant of oneselfTo say the word 'can't'Is to find quick death.


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SELF-DESTRUCTION

We do this everydayFrom the way we walk

To what we eatTo the way we sleep

All these and those we believe in,Like the axe in the tree,

Like the male and female mantises,Creep up behind our backsAnd gradually eat us up.

They destroy us.We don't even realise it

Until we are 'dead'That's when we wake up

To respond to it.

Like HIV, it's incurableIt is considerable fallible to ARVs

But you can't eliminate itWe always go looking for it

Then when we are destroyedWe blame God and it

To the light years that passedFrom Adam to Abraham to Jacob

To David to Solomon to JesusOr maybe not, pardon me

And Paul

We love deathWe are always seeking death

Tempting deathTrying death

Calling him at the top of our voices

In his big chair,He laughs like a serpent

He has mercyHe respects God

And Satan sometimes

When you've been good; he helps you rest.When you've been bad; he's ruthless.

He eliminates.

Be good, for he might help you rest.Be bad, and only you will see.


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SOUND OF A SMILE

What you can't seeYou're only left to imagine,But how do you imagine,What you've never seen?

What you've never had,You are left desire,

But how do you desire,What you've never had?

When you're born blind...You are left to imagine,

What you've never seen,To desire,

What you've never had.

It is when touch, sound and feelingGive meaning to life.

You feel safe.This is everything.

When you're happy,When you're delighted, excited

We know you've heard it,The sound of a smile.


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EARLY MORNING

The day was bright.The day was dark.They had no roofs

Because I took them.

They had no wallsI had broken them down

They cried to a stone rockThe devil had turned theirSmall paradise into hell.


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A WORKMAN AND HIS TOOLS

A doctor shall play with his needlesAnd so shall the tailor

A workman shall play with his toolsAs the birds in the sky sing him this,

A beautiful harmony

But the cloth and patient,On whom the repairs or damage is done

Say the least and feel the mostYet they remain with all after effects

So then, why do you keep quietWhen the workman tears you apart

Instead of mending you?Does it not cost you most?

Are you feel-less?

Do you have no life at all?

So degraded is our mentality and reasonFor existence if the workman is doing us harm

Instead of goodThis is no revolution but a revelation

Of the naked and obvious. But this is of no useIf there is nothing to do about it.

Sooner than, than later,I will see wrinkled and miserable peoples

A product of oppressionA vector to spread the apparent epidemic

But the people will be asked,Was there really nothing you could do about it?

Whoever asked this will also ask,Did you try cutting off the head of the workman?


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OF LOVE AND

OTHER

STRANGE

THINGS


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BITTERSWEET

Bitter is who I amFor I am rough like the seaI am as crude as petroleum

Impure as Iron

I smile when the waves chantI love it when I'm red hotI laugh when I'm on fire

That's how bitter I can be

But sweet is who you are,Like grape wine from the orchard

None can see the beauty hanging about youFor none can see the inside of you

You are like Mona Lisa, so pure

You don't need to speak to call attentionYour silence awes the world

That's just how sweet you can be

Bittersweet are the two of usBut sweet conquers bitterBut soft conquers roughAnd you conquer me

Oh MY


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HES GONE

I awoke to this misty dayIn this thin bed sheet, I lay

The wind made my body writheBecause the warmth had gone.

I am aloneSince he has gone.

He gave me all the money,But he took my soul.

I am going to weepFor a lifetime,

Until he comes back.Oh God, what have I done?

He did not say farewell.

He ran in the middle of the dark night.O you devil, why can't you steal,

When I'm seeing you?

I am wailing.Saints and angels,

Guide him back, that beautiful robberFor he has gone with my soul.

Written for Nakabuye Hilda


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WHEN YOURE GONE

When you're gone, my world is goneMy life is gone; everything is wrong

My soul is sore; spirit, woundedHeart, bleeding; mind, pain-wrecked

When you're gone, is when I need you mostWhen you're gone, is when I miss you most

You allow me to shake hands, with Mr LonelinessTo embrace all the little warmth

To delve, dwell and involve my wholeIn bond and friendship with him

Please don't allow me, let me bond withOr be ensnared. Come back, save me.

Chain me; pull me; rescue meFrom this Island of Ice. I'm freezing

When you're gone;I'm always calling you back

It doesn't matter. I still love you.Out of sight has never meant out of mind.


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ARE YOU WHO I THINK YOU ARE?

When I saw you, I saw the sunDark in the night, I saw the starIn the mirror, I saw the reflectionBut, are you who I think you are?

In the forest, I heard a pony walkAfter the rains, I heard the doves flap

So definite, so clear, but tell me,Are you who I think you are?

Inside four grey walls, I saw hopeUnder the dark clouds, I found joyAgainst a rock, I saw opportunityBut, are you who I think you are?

I have a long canine, it weakens my smile

Suppresses my joy, but calms meCrushes my pride and makes me revere

But, are you who I think you are?

The man in me rants about youHe does not just desire, he craves

For this, he can see even in the darkest darkBut, are you who I think you are?


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NOELINE

She was born on Christmas day,Born of the Virgin Mary.

Her name is Noeline.She is flawless as the purest snow.

I woke up this morning,Frantic as a bat, ecstatic as a hen.She was in my coldest nightmare.

Not when I was saved from the absorbing abyss,But that in which my soul was sucked out.

So, I declared a state-of-emergency.

She slit my throat and sucked my bloodAs a vampire in its most hungry state.

The daughter of God killed me in cold blood.But then I awoke, alive than ever.

Maybe, death is life after all.

Oh, sweet daughter of Mary,Sing me a lullaby, a song to sleep.

Tickle my seventh sense, with that needle of divinityLet's lie in ecstasy as Mother Theresa

In this bed of roses made for Caesar and Mona Lisa.That I can die without you, there is no doubt.

That I can live without you, there is doubt.

I don't want to wake this Sunday.I have a sweet nightmare.

Let the sensuality flow. Pulsating in each thought.Noeline has wiggled her pelvis.

To tell the truth, I like what I see.But you might not.

This is a two-horned slithering serpent.As I said before, this is a nightmare.


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A STORY FROM MY GRANDFATHER

One day, I went to my village;To see my grandfather.He told me an old story

About a beautiful mistress

He met in the old town;OfAgopa.

She was a queen, a goddess.She loved him,

As he had loved her.He was fresh from our village.

His was pure love.Hers was two-sided.

They bore a boy,But she didn't want to bother.The child spoilt everything.

It brought poverty,And she ran off with a rich man.

She left him to struggle,With a little baby,

But his love never faded.When she came back to see her son

He was happy.He knew she would stay

But she stole her son from himNever to return.


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COME TO ME

I am solidI sit on the ground

To stare at the stoneI look at the rough wind

Unable to move a limb

I am sunkenThe whole is low, downtroddenThe system is at war with itself

Come to me, O my queenSave me and need meYou picked up my heartThe last time, nursed it

Like a loving doctorI was just a stranger to you

You knew it would work

I shall be impotent to the worldI shall be fertile to you

So, let's lie, consummateLet's not wait to the end of the dayFor we might pay. Lie next to me,

Come to me, O my queen

Make me your friend, firstMake me your destination, consolation

My heart will be your carpet

Trample on, for you are worth it.

I will save you at deathDazzle me with your eyes

I will make you feel like a lady,The lady you want to be.

I am blessed. Thank you, Jesus.There is nothing better.


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HOPE, FAITH

AND GOD


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LIFE SYMPHONY

As the voices played throughout the hall,They were serene as a church bell on a Sunday morning.

They sailed with the cool night air.The colour of their voices sprinkled evenly into space.

The odour emanating was as powerful as that of ghee.The taste, sated and suited as milk, jelly

For the queen bee to eat and fatten.

One person asked, Who are those dressedIn white angelic albs? Where do they come from?

Where? in falsetto-ridden beauty.The other one said, You, you probably know better.You tell me, each word reverberating against the air.

So I said, Those were the ones whose skin was,Ripped, scarred and utterly destroyed. But they,

They cleaned their blood-stained albs in the;

Oasis of Life. So, they are clean.The flames of faith that burned their flesh,The smoke that rose did not mean death.

But life; a new child.Born out of fire, bathed with water.

What they did yesterday,It is for that that we are here today.

So sing, to carry with them, the crownThat crown of victory.

Victory of death that brings life.


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PALM SUNDAY AT THE MINOR BASILICA

People from all walks of lifeCompare as they prepare to welcome;

Jesus into Jerusalem.They stream into the Basilica

Like sheep with no direction and brains.But for belief, they come with their eyes closed

Palm in the hand or palm in the palmConfusion to their heads

But the faith in the spirit is unmatchedFor it, they can walk through a furnace

For it, they would swallow poison unrelentinglyThis Sunday is special

The saviour has come to dieTo save our souls from eternal darkness


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THE NIGHT THAT WAS

Just when I hit a rockJust when I fell to the ground

Just when it started to rain in my lifeIs when the dark settled in

To God, I cried, tears rolling downForsaken me, I thought he had

Desolate was my soulBy my spirit, I calmed.

His word; I readBy dawn and dusk

Belief and faith I had; in HimBut my patience waned

My conscience signaled

This was to be the nightThe time was now, ripe like never before

My burdens would be lifted

It was on that nightHappiness filled my heart

Love, joy and hope conquered meThanks and praises to the Most High.


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STICKS IN THE FIRE

It was on a dayNothing like this, I expectedWhen it came, I didn't see it

It hit hard on my mind

It engaged my spiritBound my heart

Ensnared my soulAnd chained my body

No feeling like it;I'd even had before

It worked its way up my spineA fire-filled, tense sensation

I held it, my life

I could feel how weightless it wasIn a stick, it was representedAnd I threw it into the fire

My eyes burnt;But I'd done it; I'd dedicated,My past, present and future

To the Most High


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STOP THAT TRAIN

Stop that train, I'm leavingThis has never been my home

I'm going to go awayI don't know where but I'll go.

I want to go to a placeWhere I'll be welcomeAs a native, rightfully

And considered part of humanity

I want to meet people;Of other races, languages,

To be shown loveKindness and heart

Stop that train, I'm leaving

I know it won't be too longWhether I'm right or wrongStop that train, I'm leaving

My god will guide meWhether in the jungle or wilderness

Or in the forests or mountainsAdieu, to all my friends, I'm gone

Inspired by the Bob Marley song Stop That Train


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SATISFY MY SOUL

Make me want nothingNothing of this world

Let me not desireNor plan to desire

Sanctify all that you giveMake my body pureCleanse my heart

My robes are scarlet with sinOnly you can make them white

Satisfy my soul

Give me graceShow me the way

It doesn't matter how longI can wait a thousand years

For you made and own all time

Give me strengthMore eternal than eternal

Holier than holyMore saintly, graceful

Than the angels, saintsSatisfy my soul


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LIFEGUARD

I've seen you in my nightmaresThe horrors, the worst of themThe blackness and darkness

The blood, evil and Satan

Flesh eating monstersYou come and rescue meYou pull my hand away,

When the viper is about to;Push its poisonous fangs into me.

But, who are you? I wonderWhy are you there in my time of trouble?

You are invisible.You don't want me to talk to you.

Oh, guardian angel! Open up to me.Let us be friends.

I know you are my friend

Because you save me.Please, let me know you.If you don't want, please

Don't stop saving meBecause I need you.Chao, Mr. Invisible.


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ME, NATUREAND THEM


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THE PROPHET

I: THE WARNING

Listen unto me, O my peopleFor I bring prophecies from far and wide

The end of our time is nearBut our souls have only started to live.

It is not of my own thought but of the dreamsAnd wonders the eternal God reveals to me

The heavens and hell were there in the beginningAnd continue to be.

I warn you, brethren, not out of love but fearFor your souls may be subjected to mortal dangerIf you don't repent and turn from your wicked ways

II: RESPONSE

O, you talker, serpent spitting venom of deceit.From the beginning existed those like you,

Who told falsehoods, fashionable fibsTo be recognised.

Those died, were washed off the face of the earthBut supernaturally left more remnants than before.

You, great talker, are the problem.You created the laws, the opposites.Heaven and hell, light and darkness

You judge our souls,Resigning them to eternal damnation.

But no one is meant to judge.

Only he who is perfect should be the first to castThe stone at a sinner.

Treacherous brothers, who have turned away from us,We want to forgive your wrongs

But you are arrogantly unrepentant.Go to the wilderness and preach to the stones

But the door of home is always open.


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THE STONE

This morning, hours after the cock's crowingI heard a sound at my door, someone knocking

My friend, who mistook shouting for calling,Was there. The slumber tempting,

But my duty was begging.

A mistake I made; a fool I was to forget to atoneFor the past night's lustful dreams

I had to do this for I had swornLuck let loose of me. I hit my toe on a stone

A fool, I was born. Instead of admitting my mistake,I cursed God.

To je ne sais quoi-rise my behaviour is hardBut quid pro quo serves me right, I think

I will learn my lesson with time

To be humble with the urge to rumble is not easyTo see, think and not rethink (dream) is not easy

A solution to life, I must find


50/92

STRONG WIND

I met a strong wind; that swept me off my feetI met a strong wind; that made me want to fly

It made me want to smile, and to cryTo kiss, and to look up to the sky.

I felt a chill; it run down my spineI had this tingly feel; to the realms, I went

I met a strong wind;See the hummingbirds; how they hum!

When it opened up the way,I couldn't resist the move.

The wind touched my body, made it hotter.What I didn't know, these winds carried the heat.

Meet me on the other side...

Be with me, strong wind,That took me to heaven in the reindeer train,

And brought me back on the magician's carpet.I met a strong wind; that swept me off my feet

That led me to the edge and I fell over;Into paradise.


51/92

RAIN

When it rains, the market vendors cry foulThe street hawkers anguish, jobseekers worry

The working class is in distress because of the mudFloods engulf our land, the sacred city

The city, they say, provides the daily potatoThat provides the water that quenches

The innermost thirst

But somewhere...

As the mud layer thickensAs raindrops hit hard on the thatches

As the thunderstorms pounds harder, roars louderPeople thank god in the heavens

People rejoice; this day of blessing and luck;Though their voices and cheers

Are swallowed by the loud storms,They continue in their moment of merriment

For this pronounces good luck, fortuneNothing better than that.


52/92

CRY TO ME

To the last of Seth's timeThe earth rested on water

But the water was on the earth;And everything in air

Then a fire at its centre

The water turned into bloodThe earth turned to flesh

The fire churned the productThe air brushed through it

Then it was doneHe will not be blamed

Maybe, I.


53/92

MISTY MORNING

I woke up on this misty morning;I can't see the future; my path is clouded

My efforts to see into it are futile, vainThen, I stand and stare into the smoky path.

On this day, I can't help feeling kinkyAnd the thorns, I know, feel pricklyBut I'm sure that if you queried meI would only tell you to free yourself


54/92

ROGUE I

Confusion never stops.As when the dog barks,

And there might be no intruder.As when the monkeys chatter,

Whilst a snake attempts to bite 'em.As when the eagle swoops down,

When there is no prey in sight.

When a man treads upon the earth,Without aim, caution or direction,

He is as that eagle, monkey or dog.Before the passing of a long time,

He will turn rogue as the wild game,As he may have been hungry,

In times past.So beware, man or woman or child!

These are many,Some in plain, old dirty rags

Others in suits and ties, wearing smiles,In the hours of the sun.

As the sun goes to sleep,They lurk in the dark.

They depend on rats, lizards and geckosThat stray into their paths.

Yesterday, one was sighted, shameless,Mouth dripping with blood, smiling

As though the devil had come to take them home.

So beware of this scum,For it is everywhere!


55/92

ROGUE II

He walks, as though lostWithout anything but desperation.

He walks, as though ashamedWithout love and hope.

He is a sufferer.Without, no. Within, yes.

Nothing yet, he has gainedAs though everything is lost, so he feels

He sees so much he can't have.It is at arm's length. Searing pain!

Needles in the wound!This was in the past.

Now, the pain is toned downNumbed as a kick to the groin!

He gave all he had till it was doneHe received none, not a penny.

As he sits down upon a public lawn,He wonders, to the high heavensTo the God he didn't believe in,

What he should do now?Sell his soul to the devil?

Steal, kill or destroy?His patience is thin for,

He is about to turn rogue!


56/92

MY MAN, COTINGO

Cotingo is a human, but of some rare geneHe is not special, but he is queer

He has a certain taste; a taste for misfortuneHe is so negative; no space for good

His livelihood seems to dwell on the sorrows of menWhen others cry foul, happiness fills him

He is a pessimist, sadist, miser, and crude, inhumanWhen you meet him one day, pretend to hit a stone

He'll seem to swell, chest outwards, like a frogHe'll beam with a big broad smile

My man, Cotingo

The first words that come out of his mouth,I hate... then, he'll think hard and say,

I hate the trouser you are wearingThough not like Thaddeus

Who always wears a sinister grin, hates peopleThis man likes people, and happiness

He always finds something to hate, dislike, detestTo become excited, happy

He always carries a pretentious smileThe wickedness that belies his face

But I'm surprised; he is happy at all timesThere is every reason to be, for him,

Because misfortune, death never stop fallingPoverty, ignorance and disease; endless wreckingNature is also siding with him, getting angry. Why?!

Earthquakes, typhoons, hurricanes, cyclones

Are never ceasing in these timesAnd so is his excitement, laughter and merriment

My man, CotingoInspired by Ernest Bazanyes Thaddeus from Bad Idea


57/92

MY CANCERS

CANCER I:

I tried to fight this illness, which I thought would submitFor some time, I thought it had gone.

But, no. It lodged in my heart and brain and mindAnd prepared a silent comeback,And it has come back stronger.

It eats me up. I am a rotting mass of flesh,Waiting for God to take me away.

A virus. A devilish but divine-looking demonEats away at my soul and heart.

Sooner than later, the blood will pour into my thorax.She will suck it dry and I will die,

In slow motion pain. I was given two options;To accept, and not fight, and have my life a little longer.

To reject, and fight, and see my life faster to the grave.

She sits there innocently, smiling.My friends call her a nubile, Nubian temptress.

She radiates subtleness, tenderness, no harm intended.Yet she stirs my loins.

She's a vampire,That I've fallen in love with.

I want to hold her tight; my arms around her body,And allow her to fly me hell.

The aim of a cancer is to make you regret,

Everything you did not do,When you were healthy. But I won't regret.I will accept and live longer. Hell on earth!

When I die, I'll go to Heaven.I'm slim, frail and vulnerable.Hail Mary! Hail the temptress,

That has got me begging for dear life.I feel the bones and nerves numb.

The pulse of my heart is slowly slowing.My heart has stopped beating.I died faster than I expected.

Bye.


58/92

CANCER II:

It is degenerate;The cancer that eats up my brain and mind

Is an obsession. A worthless obsession,That developed into the tumour that I suffer from.

The lifeless numbers! I hate you Pascal, Pythagoras,Fibonacci, Newton, Einstein, Huygens and the rest.

You cause me to dream infinite series.Why, Lord, did I come in contact with this?

I don't know what it is, slimy substance.I wish I could wake up when it is all gone.

Everyone wanted the addition.So, I deemed it harmless. How foolish I was?Now, it shortens my life, aggravates my death.

Oh Lord, save me.


59/92

FROM THE ELDER

I woke up early this morningLooked out of the window

I saw the cornfield that coveredAll my land.

I woke up today,To the sweet smell of desert air.

To whom do I owe this great favour?This would make a lion wake from his lair.

And just to make it fair,Someone came out to see; the friar.

I was lying on an outstretched lawn,Looking up at the sky.

Something made me yawn.So, I had to ask the question, why?

All these stupid, whimsical thoughts

Keep filling my mind. Why?Oh! I thought that Virgo's thoughts

Had infected mine. My bias against woman;More stupid!

It is now that I realise,If you want to make sense, you'll make it.

If you don't want to, you won't!So, it is a choice; your choice.

My uncle of old used to say,God is not jealous otherwise,

He would not let us choose between

Right and wrong. He knows our flaws.God is, rather, fair.

He lets us choose to or not to do His will,And how's that for a jealous individual.


60/92

BEND DOWN LOW

Bend down low,Let me tell you what I know.

Secrets about what you know,And what you don't.

And when the boat will row.One day, I woke up in the blackest darkness of night.

The grass beside my dormitory house writhed with painFor the rough winds strangled it mercilessly.

The bright moon had disappeared into the nightAnd there was no good in sight.

But the bed beside mine was emptyFor I had touched it, and felt it needy.

But I heard someone outside the window, mutteringIn a dialect more complex than Amharic; incantation.

So I got up to check, the door was already open.

The wind was whistling the most evil tunes.I peeped but saw no one.

I went out fully to check the side veranda.There he was, Phileas, stark naked,Singing war-like songs in that dialect.

His pupils had turned in and the eyes were white.I called out to him but he stood as though stunned.

Then, in swift motion, he attacked me,With a knife, so I ran back into the dorm house,

Scared as a terrified hare.He stopped at the doorway,

Licked his lips and knife and vanished.

I touched his bed but this time he was there,Sound asleep like a baby.

The devil has come; next to my bed if not it.The sorcerers have started to reign,

Blood is no deal, it's the price.The devils rule the night.

Bend down low,Let me tell you what I know.

Secrets about what you know,And what you don't.

And when the boat will row.


61/92

RAT IN MI KITCHEN

In my sleep, dreams; as I roam the pathwaysOf fantasy; I hear happy squeals

I am not used to it, as these become my ownBut I seem not to know the source of these sounds

My slumber is badly shatteredAs aluminium collided with cement

As the saucepan connects with the floorI continue to hear crackling, someone tackling

With sounds rattling; there is an invaderBut I want to know; I wake up to find out

I've seen it, small and minute; rodentThere's a rat in mi kitchen


62/92

STONE ERA

Birds play and chase each otherButterflies idle togetherCaterpillars eat leaves

The dinosaurs fight and devour each other

The peckers feast on the tree

The dinosaurs are evolvingBut the stones persist

The principle is the stoneThe basis and the foundation

Chimps and apes turn into humansStones remain to sayWe are here to leadNot with the mouth

But with action


63/92

ECSTASY AND

AGONY AMID

THE WILD


64/92

RABBIT AND HARE

Good day, Rabbit, Hare greetsI'm so glad I'm meeting you

I notice you look like meOr is it me who looks like you?

First things first, Rabbit, my friendI would like you to join my family

I am willing to show you any kind of trickCunningness, I will teach you, show you

For I've never seen a beauty as astounding as youCome let's be together, Hare suggests in a pleading tone

Rabbit gives him a long piercing lookLike as though she's even considering his offer

The tension is hair-raising for Hare.He can hardly look Rabbit in the eye.

You interest me, HareTrue to the word, you are;Cunning, sweet yet tricky

I know you only want a piece of meLike the rest who came before youAnd those that came before me

Your other man has impressed meHe could easily satisfy my needs

But what am I to you?A hawker, vendor or merchant of flesh?

A slave or a plaything? Cheap or valueless?As she marches away furiously.


65/92

CHEETAH AND LION

Joyous; let this day be this way for youBut, Cheetah my friend, I have no friend

It has become a problem now that I'm aging,Lion laments in a tone of a death row inmate.

Come be with me, be by my sideDon't you see? We look alike.

We are brothers. We all have fur.Don't leave me in my time of trouble

This world is a round oneOne day, you could be in this position

Asking one of my kin for help.Please, don't leave me.

Cheetah stands back, watches carefullyAnd bursts out into a torrent of laughter...

Clever and cunning, you've always beenYou say you have no friend and yet you sayI am your friend, continuing to laugh loudly.

It is a dry season nowNo food, everyone is starving

And you want to make me foodIn the name of cat brotherhood

No way. Go trick those of your own raceEvery man for himself, God for us all.

May the gods have mercy on you.It's your turn. Cheetah bursts into laughter,

Again.


66/92

KILLER WHALE AND SHARK

Hello, are you well, Whale?Shark greets in a soothing voice.I hope you are well. I don't wantBrothers of mine dying anyhow.

Why the smooth concern? Whale retortsYou only care if I kill you some food.

Do you think,'Tis a hobby of mine working for you?

Do you think I'm your slave?

I don't think so, Shark replies with humble appealCome, let's live together

We own these lands, these vast watersLet's conquer all seas and oceans

Only the two of us can.

I am no fool, Whale almost barking.I know what you're after.

Use me, and then throw me away,Just like a teabag, a slut, a whore.

Why do you believe in manipulation?'You can fool others any time,

But you can't fool others all the time.'


67/92

PYTHON AND COBRA

Who is in my backyard? Who's stalking me?Python hisses in her small voice.

Hello, hello, Cobra comes out, clearing his voice

I'm not stalking, white LilyI only wanted to notify you, of your slithering beauty

The way you glide, turn your waistAs you turn round corners;

There's one thing, I'm astonishedCome, oh, come, darling of mine.

Marry me, oh, marry me. We shall bear childrenWho both your strength and my venom, they'll have

They will be unbeatable, unstoppableCome, let's make the future, conquer the green

For this is our land, always has been. God gave us.

No, never. Never! I can never allow that.My children with venom? No!

My children don't kill with bullets.They strangle. This shows wit and strength.

Spitting venom is cowardice.You'd rather bite, than spit venom.

If I had children with you, they'd be very ugly.With those bat ears! No, no. This can't be!

Python goes away, hissing with rage.


68/92

ECSTASY AMID THE WILD

Sing me a song, Queen of the Wild.Hum me a tune, Princess Sheena

Let each sweet syllable loosen my heartThe birds in the sky will be mesmerised

The lions of the jungle will be humbledThe elephants shall trumpet no more

Like they used to, for you guide the wayThe music speaks all tongues, languages

A hiss of love to the serpentA bleat of joy to the goat

For an antelope to make a leap of kindnessFor a crane to sore high and bright

An eagle to hug a hen in brotherhoodMusic of nature

A harmony by Mary and the angels

A symphony by the monkeysFor the warthog to dance for hope is hereWasp: Hug me, embrace me, brother Bee

And this is the song that was sung thro' the wild:'Sing for joy, sing for peace

Let everyone come into the shining lightThis is our home, we should defend our blood

Not trying to fight here between ourselvesMr Rhino, Mr Hippo peace and love

Let everyone swear to defend this landOh brothers, this is the home for our little young ones

They don't deserve the hatred exposed to themWe provide them the future, we are the guiding light'

They heard the song from the queen,In all their tongues, they learnt it

And they sang it and their children sang itAnd the Garden of Eden was back hereWith no Adam and Eve to cause anarchy

Paradise was home again


69/92

DEDICATIONS


70/92

A POEM FOR THE ANGRY CITIZEN

Cast your burdens unto meFor I am your leader

I will bear them all as I swore to do

I will be your messiah, pray to meI, your god, have not forsaken youI will turn your dusty roads into gold

I will help you traverse distances in development no one hasIt is our secret, O, my people

I don't want the rest to think I am biased


71/92

FOR THE TAIL FAIRY

Smile from ear to ear; let the world glow with happinessTalk. The stray hounds may only turn an ear to you

The wine of your soul; pour it out for it tastes like kindness

To have a heart that considers, there is no bigger giftTo cry shiny tears, there is no greater wonder

To have seen, talked to, smiled with; I am satisfied


72/92

FOR THE GODDESS OF LIGHT

A stern, principled but flexible ladyExceptional is your understanding;

Your grace continues to awe the world

To say silence speaks a thousand wordsThat is an understatement

Your silence teaches, guides, speaks, warns meThe Aloe Vera branch could prickBut its juice heals all infections.


73/92

TO ACQUAINTANCES

To friends, collaboratorsTo orators, greatnessFailure is not for us

We rise above, against all odds.A winner is made. A victor is born.


74/92

FOR TIME

As time goes, the beauty of the day fadesLight to darkness; evil at reign over goodThe darkness of man's heart is revealed

Devil on the loose; rituals in the occultAll wickedness and profanities are performed

As time goes, the radiance of the sun isOnce again bestowed upon the Earth

To life and righteousnessThere is hope with it

The brutality of our hearts is suppressedEach ray with its penetrating power

Touching depths measured in arbitrary valuesFor only they can reach the innermost

God provides, rescues, gives light

Time provides bad and goodNight and day, life and death

But never falls to any sideTime recycles itself through our offspring

Bear with care for you reduce your time like a dinging chimeOur fathers gave us time to use the most it

And pass it on to our offspring; do not be selfishWe prolong time like a trickster's tower of cards

Add a card and the tower proceeds like the one at BabelAdd a child and time has no end


75/92

FOR DEMOCRITUS

You are the atom of the worldYou saw us before we were born

You knew what we would be

No eyes saw moreNo mind thought more

For without you, there would be no NewtonNo Dalton, Rutherford, Planck

Rest your greatness


76/92

TO ION OF CHIOS

There are only three thingsA trio; for to achieve excellence

You must have; you saw, said and I saw

So, I tell

IntelligenceIt does befit understandingIt can be developed on soilOne can choose to build itFor the knowledge attained

Assists us interpret oneself and othersAnd then the environment

PowerIt is everything

Without it, the soul is worthlessWealth is no where to investA poor man with no hope

I have the power for it is implanted meI have conquered

FortuneBlind-belief is not me

Guess work is not my area of expertiseFortune comes to one who makes it

Fortune does not fall from heaven like mannaOne's decisions create one's fortune

Fortune, luck comes to those who work hard

Ion let me carry your staff of directionTo show me how to direct others the way you directed me


77/92

HAIL JOAN

Joan of the EastVoluptuous like a beet root

Owe your grace to the Feline

Your taste to the sunbirdHail Mary! Hail Joan!Don't slit my throat


78/92

TO THE KINGS DAUGHTER

I have never seen claws; so sharp yet so bluntThe eagle is wasted. The raven, too.

The eagle is a dove.

I have never seen wind; so rough yet slowThe wind is wasted. The wind is fresh air.

I am running away. Red wine is white.The vodka is lemon juice.

Threshold. Turn page.Your eyes are deaf. They will listen now.Your ears are blind. They will see now.


79/92

THE CEMETERY

AT AGOPA


80/92

HELL HOUNDS ON MY TRAIL...

They say stars rotate around your head,But I see demons everywhere.

The stars have turned red.Horned beasts surround me.

My blood is getting cold.My thoughts are spinning.

Metal bars rise from each side.I'm trying run but two imps,

Hold my feet still.Hell boys haunting me!

Silly horned men,Why do you chase me?

What have I done to you?Leave me alone, you sick devils!


81/92

CONCEPT OF EVIL

It does not make you a cowardIt makes you unstoppable

Callous. Yes! You flow with no frictionNo parallax. Everything is clear.

Mystical powerSorcery

Witchcraft and wizardryHell

BloodNasty stuff

Without evil, would we know good?Without death, would we know life?

Without Satan, would know God?So, evil has use?

Do no evil, do no badDo as thou wilt; left with no control

No saviour. Do evil; do badA misguided child. Let's make toast,

With this black wine; to darkness and its forcesSatan and his angels


82/92

THE CEMETERY AT AGOPA

Open your eyes; but don't seeOpen your mouth but no sound comes out

See the others shouting; but don't hear a thingYou are numbed by your own thoughts

Trapped and ensnared by the little Devil; the impThere is a thorn in my back; without curare, yes.

Stronger than scorpion venom; I'm paralysed.My devil chokes the life out me.

I can't shout because no one can hear.So, I die alone.

I will be long gone by the time you find me.Meet my Hell.


83/92

AFRICAN CHEMISTRY

In every word is a signIn every sign, there is a line

In every line, there is timeA time for the spine

To realise that it is on the frontline

The spirits of the dead hoverTo haunt or to guide

The herbsman picks a thorn leafTo pierce a fruit containing sweet juices

Or plant it in your neckOne reactant, two opposite products

A rootsman falls ten times

But he rises ten timesFor his soul is a fire of the gods

That does not burn out

Chicken blood, eggsA calabash, a ritual for cleansingMusambwa, musisi, all for one soul

It is chemistry by beliefIt was, is and will be for us

A rosary and a herb all in handNyabinghi is my priestess

They called us dark, we show them lightThey judge us, we don't judge

They don't understand


84/92

WITHIN TO WITHOUT

Even in the moonlight,There's more darkness than light.

The midnight darkness calling me in.Evil winds soothing my wicked soul.

Devils, candles, soothsayers.Visions, lights, lightning, thunder, blackouts.

Virgins crying, blood can't stop flowing.The pain is unbearable; even I can't stand it.The blood lions feed on; the vultures will too.

I am a savage animal.I drink blood; demons told me,

I would be strong.

I sold my soul to the devil.

A bleeding heart; a cursing spiritI can't believe I mean it.

My ghosts are here to haunt me.Virgin, weep for me. But you can't save me,

Allowing to be set on fire. Break!

Open up your eyes, though you can't see the light.Every other day, vanity becomes more realistic.Listening to the angels and wishing I was there.

Incense tickling my nostrils, but no blessing is forthcoming.

Nine lives is what I initially wanted, but nowEven a million won't be enough

For my fate is black.


85/92

ISLAND OF TRETA

I am sickened at the thoughtYet there is a calling at the threshold

Open your hands from the foldPick up your gold

It is tiring to be old, butWould you rather die young?

Ironic; stupid; witty; fittingComparison and contrast; all in one

The fools have fallen for it; Leprechaun goldMore like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow

A soul lost and never foundSpirit has been ensnared by the Devil

I never had life, I never had a fear

Now I have life but I really don't careIt's fair. It's rare. You might hurt yourself

Looking for the goldYou fall, get bruised, and injured

You rise, fall again, riseDon't you learn? Fools.


86/92

THE CHRONICLES

I went to the sea, I saw a lionI went to the forest, I saw my dog

I went to my home, I saw a rhinoI went to the kennel, I found a hyena

One plus one turned to fiveTwo plus two turned to seven

The sun turned darkThe Devil turned into the light

The lizard ate the snakeThe frog ate the toad

The fools became wise

Everyone was meI was the bestIt was queer

Everyone was mad

I thought we were jokingThe cog on which I stood turned into;

A mountainThen I cried like a baby. Everyone laughed

That's when I realised I had gone out of my mindI looked at myself without my mind

Laughed my head off and went back inside

The priests were drunk. Stupid sots, I call themThe nuns sucked on the brothers

The pope encouraged themThe cardinals spread the word

The bishops masturbatedThe reverends got hard-ons

Mary got pissed

The Devil cursed them; then he laughed hardThey would all find him; waiting for them

The demons sang praises as the saints wept

The wrath of God shall come;The heretics and heathen will not survive

Total destruction. The fools are dead,Before they even die


87/92

JULY, 1919

I drank French wineI smelled the malt of German beer

I felt the urge to dineHer breasts were so fine

Then all hell broke loose...The devil was cast down to the earth

A wounded Lion, he wasFire on my dinner table

Curse him.


88/92

THORNS AND NEEDLES

Take me to the lion's den;I will find peace there

Let me swim in a crocodile swamp;My soul will be at ease

Snakes are friends of mine;Strong, long and fast

I feed them all the timeBut when I turn my back

There is a needle in my backAcupuncture

I can't move, I'm beatenI prefer a thorn in my neck


89/92

MONSTER

I'm a monsterI'm an animal

I'm a scoundrelI'm a scavenger

I'm an impI'm reason

I'm an angelI'm a gentleman

Suit and tieI'm humanI'm wrong

I'm everythingI wouldn't want to be

I order the rain to stop

I have to leaveI don't care who it hurts

I am an alienI disgust all humans

I look like sugarI taste like Aloe Vera juice

I am the devil's snareI live in the darkI have no soulNo conscience

I am black as a jaguarI was born so,

Do you blame me?I could be your best friend

I could be a shoulderWhen you need to cryBut when I need food

Run for your lifeJust let me be; breath.


90/92

EPILOGUE:

SOLITUDE

The land scandals; they have wrecked my homeMy people are greedy; eating up each other

Their own flesh; cannibalsWealth and money is their motivation

The black thorn that will tear their jugularsMy people are lost; eyes clouded by smoke

No, this is mist

The children dieNot of death or disease

But rape and strangulationThe horned fellow said,

He would give themTheir hearts' desires

Have mercy on the babiesCutting off their genitalsHeads, arms; murderers

Who owns money, I ask?They told of those men

They have wealth beyondThe realms of the earth and waters

And they still want moreWhat are we going to remain with?

They want it all, those billionairesLet the wrath of God rain on their materialistic souls

My land has been bathed; soakedColoured red, with blood

Blood from war; blood of the lambsBlood of the children has been spilled

On the ground, like the Red SeaWe shall drink blood; blood of our own

We are cursed!!

The laws have been tilted

The outlaws are taking overThe police have turned against usThe army are shooting us down

The judges eat bribesSentencing us to 'hang'While we are innocent

Hope; after the fall, we still stand

Potholes in my roadsPotholes in my leadersPotholes in my eldersPotholes in my head

Who will we survive Uganda?


91/92

The land is dryThe skin is dry

The animals are dryWe starve, we raid

Karamoja. They don't care about us

Then to my brothersAcholi brothers; blood brothersKony, why do we kill each other?

We are of the same wombBut we tear our skins as lions on deer meat

This is self-destructionWhy!!

Our mothers have criedOur sisters have cried

Mary has; tears of bloodBlood for us; the blood does not run out

We ignore, so the river never stops runningFor they don't stop crying

Defiled, raped, disgraceful, stainedWhat has remained of the woman,The African woman that once was?

Lost, dark, evil, devilishIs what is said of womanhood today

Stray breasts, horned sharksSlaves of the Devil

But will they change?

For this, I shall call on God.

Like a whirlwind, it has not spared anyoneBut shall we blame it, or those who made it?

Maybe, no. Maybe, yes.But it stands in the way of the pure and impure

In the way of the rapists and the faithfulSo where does HIV lie?

It is bad to both good and badI shall not lose my mind over this

This man is just a sadistI will fight you to the death of me

Remember, I died fighting. I'm a hero.

The plague never stops wreckingThe drama never stops

Challenge after challengeWe encounter with renewed courage and happiness

We hope the sun rays of today will be stronger,Brighter and sharper than the ones of yesterday.

I am in solitude; in this rock solid prisonWith no consolation; away from my life

No friend, not even an enemyForced like a slave, whipped like a thief

Oppressed like a peasant

Maybe it is just meI have created this; an island of hard nature


92/92

A paradise of crocodiles and lionsSo I can survive natural selection.

Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever

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Transcript of Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever