A State House Visit.

Who doesn’t know him,

That son of the soil:

Whose name appealed to many ears like a popular riddim,

Whose dream incited the folks with anger to boil,

Whom thirst for knowledge had taken far-

And had him intoxicated with insanity,

We baptized him sir!

 

We were together in hell,

I blanketed him with my shadow,

Tear gas he couldn’t inhale,

And when we fly to heaven; he foresaw,

I would sit on his right,

And be served with bread and butter,

And accumulate peace day and night,

Because mine life will be better.

 

Gates opened,

I crawled out destined to hustle,

But he clung on my back: help he needed,

I stood like a bamboo pole,

So he could climb to the top,

I interpreted his dream to my clansmen,

I knelt for them to endorse him,

And on a sunny day like this:

He got countless votes,

His name ruled the airwaves!

 

And he left on a motorcade,

With some creatures I knew not,

I ran to embrace him, but his boys became rude:

They ravaged my skin with whips so hot,

Until I neared the breaking point,

When they injected a bullet into my flesh!

The son of the soil didn’t see;

He was drunk with ecstasy.

 

To a garage was I rushed,

For my flesh to be formatted,

As I wait for a ticket to heaven.

My friend didn’t come,

So did the ticket!

I phoned him. But oh,”Samahani, mteja wa nambari unayopiga hapatikani mwaka huu.

Tafadhali jaribu mwaka jana au ujao!”

I was warned.

And my persistence made him switch off!

 

I missed the promised heaven,

I salivated for the bread and butter,

I longed to live his dream,

So I paid him a visit-

In the state house.

Uninvited!

 

No bird flew me there,

No Benz drove me there;

But my feet.

A security officer advised me to hide-

For the big man would vomit at my sight,

But wasn’t he not a lifetime friend?

Had we not been in hell together?

I resisted.

 

And my quest ended,

I was kicked like a ball,

And branded the president’s assassin;

Send by bandits of justice!

So well they worked on me,

He glimpsed at me through a window,

And signaled them to return me to hell:

Our one time haven-

Where I am rotting today.

(c) 2013.

KHISA. W. Pius.

Locked In.

You colonized my mind,

Thence I can’t grow out of your hand,

I am tethered on a magic wand,

In the name of love I rarely find,

Since you prefer being a nun:

You’ve left me with none!

 

Daughter of my in-law,

Of the world I claim to know,

Only you touched mine heart;

If I replace it will hurt,

Only you laced my blood,

And I adore you so bad!

 

You stay like the sky high,

Dragging you is worth a sigh,

And seems I’ll queue till late;

And shed blood to change fate.

 

I endevour to rest,

Once I tap your breast…

Because my sweat won’t go to waste,

In doing such a test pregnant with taste!

(C)2013.

All Rights Reserved.

KHISA W. Pius

Home.

Here I was born:

Hungry and helpless,

Where my father’s father was soiled;

With his soft pillow,

Where my mum has cultivated potatoes-

for a lifetime,

Where our warriors’ blood spilled:

To oust intruders.

 

Eight of us ate trouble-

Fatal fight against beasts of the soil;

Restoration of peace,

So we strengthened ties,

With neighbours, believing we’re one;

We exchanged daughters,

And forth came cross-breeds.

 

Elsewhere I know not,

A day out I am sick;

I miss the sanctuary–sweet home,

So dear and hospitable,

Like heaven,

Where each soul yearns to retire to;

And I’ve nowhere to go,

This is my home!

Long Life.

We met and mate poor-

Worse than church mice!

Of her betrothal I wasn’t sure

For darkness lingered in her deceptive eyes

I tensed!

 

I toiled unsuccessfully-

In quest for daily bread

My undying spirit smiled weakly

Like a man on his deadbed

I soldiered on still!

 

Then papers opened her way-

She deputized a government boss somewhere

We all were gay

Somehow fate had opted to be fair

Golden embers finally kissed our hut.

 

I dropped to the pavement;

She skyrocketed, and married gucci

The boss admired her, even he kissed her hand!

Hyenas stalked her, for me had no mercy

I down counted hours…

 

 

But, now grey I am

I am overwhelmed with pride-

Seeing her pampering kids:

Fruits of our immortal love

In the worst we’ve wallowed; and we’re done

Because love and joy are here today, tomorrow and…

Hopefully shall forever be there.

 

(C)2013.

KHISA W. Pius.

Security.

He gunned me down

Because I served little tea

On the face he forced a frown

And swore again wheels I won’t see-

I fell fate’s prey.

 

I fell fate’s prey

On the dusty road to success

When I starved his wallet today;

He found pleasure to erase:

Me, son of the soil.

 

Me, son of the soil

Is going to rot in the grave

Because of twenty shillings of my toil

He wanted to rave;

As I sleep on empty stomach!

The Spare Wheel.

She has never tasted trouble

Thence I am unclear to claim a victim

I’ve to empty the wallet on the table

If I desire to enjoy her cream.

 

She has likened herself to gold

She sucks my coins to feel at ease

And mistakes my kids’ mum as old-

To boil in the shamba and grow maize.

 

Sometimes she incites me to cry

With her nagging that breeds violence

And I wish the end could be nigh

So I could alight from her vehicle of existence.

 

She is my husband!

Her say is final, like a court’s sentence

I must serve her; even if I crawl in sand

Though disheartening, for her I dance!

 

She threatens Nanjala to pack

Inviting idle criticism from my people-

They discolour me, that manhood I lack

For the old house’s about to crumble.

Hard Times.

Nafula is gone,

In the hovel I am alone:

In chains of desperation–

Serving singly a dismal sentence:poverty,

And entitled to cups of hunger!

 

Today I missed,

Manna from the crown-

It was politicized!

I failed their tribal test to taste one,

A looser…

I retired home swallowing saliva.

 

Children I evade;

Their nagging elicits my precious tears,

Their rags incite me to vomit,

They’ve been banished from school,

Because I can’t pay for free:

White man’s insanity!

 

Yesterday I dodged a state’s dog,

At a den I had gone to irrigate my throat,

He tried to bar me from drowning my sorrows,

Now he’s sniffing for me like a coin;

So I am awake only–

Times the world’s resting.

YOU.

In me you sowed the salient seed of life,

I emerged my family’s favorite five.

 

You lifted me high amongst friends,

And softened spears of fiends.

 

Never have I cried of hunger,

For you made me a brilliant banker.

 

You light my path; your love and care I dangle on:

In dismal encounters; and on the verge of despair, neither am I forlorn.

 

Your love shall cost everything worth;

I shall be loyal and good, lest I provoke your wrath.

 

Royal king, your reign spans forever:

Freeing slaves; healing the sick; and still for the lowly–you’re the lever!

It is you forever.

Change, Peace Call.

Again we aspire to choose,

The best as per our hearts’ choice,

But, brothers and sisters:

Let us again not wallow in bitter waters;

Let us again not be subjected to tribal test to taste victory;

Let us again not be used as war machines-

to slaughter our kins and roast them in fire,

Consequences are just dire!

 

With vast experience,

From five years of futile existence,

in the hands of a few living,

Let us again not be drowned by wines of insanity,

or lured by the coins offered with pity,

But sow rightly:

Let not a brute pass because of a fat purse,

Let us endorse a statesman; not a politician,

To bind us,

And lose no piece as we ululate in peace!