word pictures i: poetry forever
TRANSCRIPT
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
1/92
WORD PICTURES I:
POETRY FOREVER
EDGAR ODONGKARA
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
2/92
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
3/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
4/92
POETRY AND ME
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
5/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
6/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
7/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
8/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
9/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
10/92
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'm a rebel, soul rebel;I'm a wanderer; soul adventurer
I will not use violenceBut I will be militantThis is a movement,
A segment; of disagreementThe evolution of a people
Who have solutions.
I'm a rebel, soul rebel;I'm a wanderer; soul adventurer
We shall fight your waysWith the same guns and bombs
Complete disobedienceThe system is imperial, defeatist
And fascist.
I'm a rebel, soul rebel;I'm a wanderer; soul adventurer
The moon is up and brightWalking in the light
At six past midnightNo traitor will survive this,
Ambush in the night.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
11/92
LIFE AND
OTHER
POEMS
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
12/92
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?
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
13/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
14/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
15/92
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?
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
16/92
FLATTER, FUN,
FANTASIES
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
17/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
18/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
19/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
20/92
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?
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
21/92
RUDE
AWAKENING
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
22/92
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!
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
23/92
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?
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
24/92
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!
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
25/92
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
26/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
27/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
28/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
29/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
30/92
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?
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
31/92
OF LOVE AND
OTHER
STRANGE
THINGS
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
32/92
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
33/92
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
34/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
35/92
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?
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
36/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
37/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
38/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
39/92
HOPE, FAITH
AND GOD
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
40/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
41/92
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
42/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
43/92
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
44/92
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
45/92
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
46/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
47/92
ME, NATUREAND THEM
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
48/92
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
49/92
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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!
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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!
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
63/92
ECSTASY AND
AGONY AMID
THE WILD
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.'
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
69/92
DEDICATIONS
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
79/92
THE CEMETERY
AT AGOPA
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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!
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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.
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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?
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
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
-
7/29/2019 Word Pictures I: Poetry Forever
92/92
A paradise of crocodiles and lionsSo I can survive natural selection.