Poetry – KE – Let the words speak!

Peace is Only for the Disciplined

In order to achieve peace, you must be prepared to wage war,
for chaos is the milieu of the world we traverse.
Everywhere, people are battling each other,
and everyone harbors a fully-fledged war within themselves.

Discipline is the recipe for managing disorder,
the way to mastery over oneself.
It allows us to see beyond the illusions of the short-sighted,
and to look further than the mediocre.

‘The disciplined are free,’ goes the oxymoron,
not tied down by the forces of vanity.
They are like birds roaming the streets of freedom,
for they have conquered the entropy that clutters the soul.

In war, the depths of peace are tested,
and in fasting, the freedom from hunger is achieved.
The 26-mile run breaks the chains of static bones,
and the patience leading up to a goal is the essence.

The undisciplined suffer the sting of disharmony;
they are not in control of anything, not even themselves.
They feel as foreign in their bodies as a bee in the seabed,
for they have chosen the path lined with ‘freebies.’

Sharing of Laughs and Smiles

She ticks my checkboxes, notes, and lists,
Makes me uncomfortably yet truly happy with little effort.
She is my box of hand-picked cherries and nuts,
A fit into my set of likings, in all honesty.

I find myself looking forward to our time together,
Be it a simple message, voice call, or in person.
Any type of connection is welcomed at any time.
I feel closer to my core when they’re in the picture.

The laughs and smiles hold me,
Long after the conversation, it replays in my mind.
In the mid-day sun, I see it as if it were live.
My castles in the air are built on their foundation.

I am settled on what I want in life,
I want exactly that in different colors,
I want the laughs and smiles mixed with home-cooked meals,
To spend more time basking in this sunshine.

More than anything, in this season,
It makes me calm and non-reactive to the chaos around.
She makes me simplify my life goals to just this.
For what is more important in my days?

Hungry for Change

I want to take a short break
To take a moment and reflect on my strides
For it seems I am backtracking and moving sideways
And the forces of nature appearing to be against me

The static is leaving me unpolarized
The spring of life feels flat
And the cherry of happy-land is absent
The days are long and unexciting

I need a breath of fresh air
A step on new grounds and havens
To capture a new electric stimulation
And drive some new energy into mine body

Contractictory as it can be I need some change
So that I can maintain the momento
So as to skip into the next ring
And bounce back into the days full of rambo-bambo

I have hunger pains for some changes
It feels like a pool of stagnant waters
I need to get the gates open
So that I can flow downstream into new lands

New Year Resolutions in April

It’s never too late to start afresh
To make a halt, admit you’re tactically lost and plot your way to the promised land
Even when you’re as old as the original coat of paint on the ’69 Ford Bronco
You can peel the mask off and get a new shine

I decided to do some resection and plot again
To get the old prismatic compass and make another calculation
I made new year resolutions in April
Because it felt right and timely

I threw some caution to the wind
And brought in some inner resolve in the process
I engaged the gears of my intellect and the waves in my mind
To arrive at a list so lean yet so daunting

Instead of the 75 day challenge,
I went all in to become the greatest
To taste the magic of living like Muhamad Ali
To sip into the waters that Sankara cherished

The best that the universe has to offers are wrapped in discipline
Surrounded by a ring of going-beyond
I am aware of the narrow path
That leads to the paradise of tomorrow-land

Mid-January curse

They said it was a happy new year
And this was our year
I’m disturbed on what they exactly meant
Probably they focused on the blessings of good health

The pinch of school fees and a new lease on rent are painful
The sting bites because i have to dig deep into empty coffers
I have been approach the shylock with some humility
And promise to be his friend

My wife construed the new year for a new pay scale
Yesterday, she brought me a list of plans
Plans for our family for discussion
She had hoped out of the list, I’d run with half of them

It pains when I remember the festivities of December
How I numerously left booze on the counter because I had had enough
How I tipped every grocer, shop attendant and the taxi driver
How I made a pledge to the local church to give half of my salary

And now I stare, watching the sand pass through the hour glass
Days seem static and the nights are long
I promise myself to start by breaking from pay check to pay check
But now I am at the shylock’s office waiting for him to open

Lost Pixels in Our Flag

Yesterday, the skies did frown, wrapped in mournful gloom,
A comrade, strong and fearless, met an untimely doom.
A father, a brother, a son so true,
We lost some pixels in our flag’s hue.

Together we rose, as dawn’s light did ply,
Shared stories and dreams, over warm cups of chai.
The morning, it seemed, mirrored days gone past,
Warm and damp, with shadows that vast.
Yet whispers of clouds, in their fleeting song,
Hinted that darkness would soon come along.

Now, in this silence, my heart does moan,
Baffled by a life, too swiftly flown.
Gone, but to where? That question does prick,
Is it luck or misfortune, fate’s cruel trick?

For those who depart, where do they tread?
In memories and hearts, they live on instead.
Yet, in this vast world, with pain we cope,
In the hope of peace, in the strength of hope.

Free to be New

I want to be the Form one ‘mono’
To be free to be the chicken with the string on its legs
So that I can busk in the new excitement
And swing in the breeze of newness

I want to make small mistakes
To walk into the wrong rooms
To miss a step and apologize
I want to ask for directions and bother my guides

The don’t want to jump through this stage
For I am aware, there’ll be a day I will miss this
I want the uncertainty and the careful tread
The pause to ask for clarity and guidance

This phase won’t last long
It will be short-lived and then disappear
When I’ll be comfortable going forward
When everyone will know my name

I want to introduce myself as the new ‘replacement’
To lie a little in the formalities
To say that it is a pleasure to meet everyone
To flow with the new waves as they come along

Resonance of the Uncelebrated

Mashujaa of the Silent Dawn

In the heart of the place I call home, beneath the sun’s radiant sprawl,
On the day we honor heroes, both famed and small,
There’s a tale untold, of two unsung souls,
Whose deeds and toils, make us all whole.

Ma, with hands worn by time and strife,
In the vast plains of life, you carved a path with a knife.
With tales of old, of Rware’s pride and might,
You whispered dreams into my ears every night.

Pa, with strength of the mighty Aberdares’s peak,
Your silent battles, of which you’d seldom speak.
Guiding me through Savannah’s heat and rain,
Teaching me to rise, time and again.

As the locals dances to the rhythm of the land,
Your sacrifices, I’ve come to understand.
Though the world might not see, or ever comprehend,
The depth of your love, which knows no end.

In the shimmer of Mt Kenya, in the rustle of the trees,
In the chorus of the winds, whispering Tree-top’s melodies,
I see you both, in every dawn’s embrace,
The unsung heroes, the heart of our race.

Mashujaa Day we celebrate, the known and the obscure,
But to me, you both shine, pure and sure.
For in the vast tapestry of Kenya’s tale so grand,
It’s your love and guidance, on which I stand.

So, here’s to the heroes, both loud and quiet,
For in your humble ways, you ignite the brightest light.
As your son, at thirty, I’ve come to see,
That my true Mashujaa, will always be thee.

Happy birthday dear mother

Happy birthday, dear mother,
A day of celebration and cheer,
You are the heart and soul of our home,
A guide and protector, always there to roam.

Your love and wisdom know no bounds,
Your kindness and compassion astound,
You are the shining star in our lives,
A beacon of hope, always thriving and alive.

As we gather to honor you today,
We celebrate all that you are and all you say,
We are forever grateful for your love and care,
On this special day, and every day, we share.

So let us raise a glass and sing a song,
To the most amazing mother, all day long,
May your birthday be filled with joy and cheer,
Here’s to many more, dear mother, dear.

You have always been our rock,
A constant source of strength and support,
Through every challenge and every trial,
You have stood by us, with a loving smile.

Your grace and beauty inspire us all,
To be our best selves, to stand tall,
On this day, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts,
For all that you do, and all that you are.

So let us dance and sing and celebrate,
This special day, so full of love and fate,
May your birthday be as wonderful as you,
Dear mother, we are forever grateful and true.

Here’s to you, dear mother, on your birthday,
May your joy and happiness never fade away,
You are loved and cherished, now and always,
Happy birthday, dear mother, we raise a toast to you, in every way.

Moon Poem

What beauty and marvel is the night
The moment in darkness that the stars are most bright
They are dead yet seem so alive

And in our beds our dreams begin to thrive
Our souls dance while our bodies lay in rest
Like feathers of a chic sleeping in a breezy nest
Oh moon!

How your beauty is at the peak of its bloom!
From the heavens your light shines down on us
Bringing peace and calm that shall hopefully never pass

By Kurosaki Drew