Best Kenya Poems
Dawn, when silence falters
And the trees of the range-
Are tucked in a bucket of fog
Marching dawn, whose beauty never alters,
I tuck myself in blankets like a log
At the Treetops Hotel upon the range
Dainty dreams upon dawn’s altar
The dappled peacock dazes the dawn
While the African crowned eagle
Will soar, prowling for prey
And tourists peep and picture the fawn
While their eyes prowl the breakfast tray
Jacaranda festooned fashion regal
Its blue flowers blue snowfall upon dawn
Elephants trudge to the watering hole
Buffalo follow, even the bush buck
The warthog always walks silly,
The big five will steal your soul
At the Ark's perch, you will be stuck
The water adorned by the pond lily
The range's serenity, waters your soul
Pristine streams gush from the moorlands
The Hagenia, decked in velvet green
The sword lily, sheathed in fibrous tunic
And as the Karuru falls hit land
True love will pierce to the gene
For pristine nature, is the true cupid.
Breaths bated as lovers hold hand
Further, nestled nigh in the blue skies
The Kinangop peak, peeking through
The closer I get, the further it hides
A sun bird chatters, along my trail's high
My eyes in tune, such wondrous hillsides
I sweat as I head towards the bamboo
I am among the butterflies
Ringlets in a dance, oh! Surreal world
Monkeys swing, tree to tree, a trail of imagination
A reed buck is openly grazing
A canvas of the grassland in its gold
I spot a Serval cat, in hiding
On a safari truck, the breeze is an inspiration
Beauty flows in the altitudes that I behold
At dusk the steeped villages prepare for sleep
The Nyandarua range, yawns its last
Fabled home of the Kikuyu god
Curtain like shadows befall the steep
And this wonderland begins to nod
As the women fluff off days dust fast
Men’s ears wide open as it darkens deep
Wild animals are known to visit
Roving around, excitement for the young
But the animals are known to visit hungry
The locals know too well, memories vivid
An elephant’s wrath is meted out bluntly
Protection for man and beast not far flung
Conservation and nurture is the spirit
As Mount Satima watches her watered floors,
She knows the heart goes deep
Collaboration with njeri hunjeri who is a wonderful poet
What a harmonious land it is,
Full of integrated citizens,
Peace and unity all over,
Always emerging at the top,
What a blessed country it is?
Some say you are my motherland,
But fatherland likewise you are,
You give one peace and comfort,
How graceful i adore you,
For being my mentor.
If only i had one word to say,
Or one drop of ink remaining,
Or even only one line vacant,
I would proudly say that,
I love you!
We are kenyan superstars,
That is what we are,
Kenya our mother land and pride,
Shines so bright that it cannot fade,
Today we hear,`Kenyan athletes bring home,
Bronze,Silver and Gold,'
Tomorrow,``The Kenya Rugby 7's defeat New zealand again.''
The Maasai culture came up with the Akala sandals,
Which are made out of rubber,
The luhya introduced Bull fighting,
The Kalenjin made `mursik' or fermented milk,
And to name but a few communities,
With their diverse cultures.
I believe that kenyans were born great,
To grow up and achieve greatness.
To become one of the most formidable
Intellects of our time,
Just like the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta,Dedan Kimathi,
Tom Mboya,Kijana Wamalwa to name but a few,
To change people's reasoning conclusively,
And make them see reality and not building castle's in the air.
Kenyans were born great,
Because greatness was thrust upon them,
To change Africa's impoverished state,
And make it a better place,
For you and for me and the entire human race,
To raise heroes and heroines,
To conquer social evils in the society.
If we were born great,
Let us believe in ourselves,
Be contented with whatever we do in our lives,
Let us love one another, live in unity and work
together as a nation,
Let the past be a stepping stone for us to succeed in future,
And leave the rest, to the Almighty God.
A nonchalant summers breeze seeps silent through a window
Left ajar
Carries soft memories scent of
Warm kenyan musk air
Which rests in a deep dark corner
Mind
Afar
Faint distant scratching of
Grasshoppers seranading
The cumbersome
Boa-bob tree
Which wavers gently
At the now noir sea...
As the tiny cream crabs rest their
Oh so suspicious eyes
Whilst there's still no peace for the wicked
Damn mosquitos
Fly
In my mind to the heavens door
Tiwi beach
Once stroked its soothing sand
Through my course
Comforted feet
And I know this place
Tis beautiful
My very just delight
By the Indian Ocean on a balcony
In the dead of the night x
It seems so far yet so near
we must get there without fear
this is something we hoped each year
and now at fifty years we still must steer
to build Kenya our country so dear.
fifty years we are not still at pur
But look back and see we are from far
we have wanted always to shine like a star
and in our effort us nothing is going to bar
to build Kenya our country which is so dear
Dawn, when silence falters
And the trees of the range-
Are tucked in a bucket of fog
Marching dawn whose beauty never alters.
I tuck myself in blankets like a log
At the Treetops Hotel upon the range
Dainty dreams upon dawns altar
The dappled peacock dazes the dawn
While the African crowned eagle
Will soar, prowling for prey
And tourists peep and picture the fawn
While their eyes prowl the breakfast tray
Jacaranda festooned fashion regal
Its blue flowers blue snowfall upon dawn
Elephants trudge to the watering hole
Buffalo follow, even the bush buck
The warthog always walks silly,
The big five will steal your soul
At the Ark's perch, you will be stuck
The water adorned by the pond lily
The range's serenity, waters your soul
Pristine streams gush from the moorlands
The Hagenia, decked in velvet green
The sword lily, sheathed in fibrous tunic
And as the Karuru falls hit land
True love will pierce to the gene
For pristine nature, is the true cupid
Breaths bated as lovers hold hand
Further, nestled nigh in the blue skies
The Kinangop peak, peeking through
The closer I get, the further it hides
A sun bird chatters, along my trail's high
My eyes in tune, such wondrous hillsides
I sweat as I head towards the bamboo
I am among the butterflies
Ringlets in a dance, oh! surreal world
Monkeys swing, tree to tree, a trail of imagination
A reed buck is openly grazing
A canvas of the grassland in its gold
I spot a Serval cat, in hiding
On a safari truck, the breeze is an inspiration
Beauty flows in the altitude that I behold
At dusk the steeped villages prepare for sleep
The Nyandarua range yawns it's last
Fabled home of the Kikuyu god
Curtain like shadows befall the steep
And this wonderland begins to nod
As the women fluff off days dust fast
Mens ears wide open as it darkens deep
Wild animals are known to visit
Roving around, excitement for the young
But the animals are known visit hungry
The locals know too well, memories vivid
An elephants wrath is meted out bluntly
Protection for man and beast not far flung
Conservation and nurture is the spirit
As Mount Satima watches her watered floors,
She knows the heart goes deep
For milliards of tough years
You have stood in our midst
Unperturbed, indomitable
And you have enticed the rain
And it has showered our fields
Our ridges and verdant plains
And filled not only our rivers
But our streams and rivulets
And much else of our realm
For milliards of long years!
When the first rays of the sun
Gently slap your sleepy face
Urging you to part your garment
Of white and grey and sometimes
Darker cumulo-nimbus colours
Do you ever shy away and turn
As though from a sight unloved
Or summon your three peaks
To hide you from the earliest
Touch of a brand new dawn?
When I think of your numerous sacred grooves
When I dream of your twenty or so glacial tarns
When I fathom your five thousand metre height
And this right on the path of the equatorial sun
I am deeply humbled and promptly reminded
That the God of my people and of our cousins
Dwells up there untroubled by the elements
I am reminded, too, of the elephant highways
Which traverse our ridges on the way north-east
To the warmer grasslands of Nyambene Hills
I dare not look up to you
Without plenty of gratitude
I dare not hide my shy face
Without plenty of ingratitude
For I know and all of us know
That you have been our dear
And most beloved benefactor
That has withheld not a thing
That has stood by the people
Beyond measure, beyond all
Thank you for your tears
Thank you for your prayers
Thank you for your ice and snow
Thank you for your rivers and rivulets
And thank you, too, for your love
For the men and women galore
All children of all races and hue
Who inhabit for the time being
Limbs of your most splendid
And most bountiful slopes!
RICE SLAM
Nairobi, Kenya Nov 2012 (election rallies held Sept 2012 until March 2013 election day)
hey hey
voting day
go on strike
take a hike
smash a bike
wave a spike
hey hey
voting day
grab a bat
bat a man
smash and steal
if you can
man its fun
on the run
run and fight
fight all night
start a fire
slash a tire
man its fun
on the run
grab a bat
bat a vote
bat a cop
steal a boat
hope this day
will never stop
love to smash
smash and bash
smash and bash
the cop, cop
hey hey
voting day
call your chums
to play play
call your chum
he will come
tote a gun
twice the fun
knife and gun
day is won
slash a guy
smash a girl
life is in
a voting whirl
vote it once
vote it twice
then i'll switch
fingers itch
make me rich
then i'll switch
scream another
candidate has
changed his brothers
scream another
stronger brother
one more switch
make me rich
make me rich
on beans and rice
ain't it nice
to be rich
fingers twitch
money itch
love the rich
rulers switch
vote vote
twice twice
more red beans
and
rice rice
We used to wait outside
at the girls rooming house
by the Ohio in Cincinnati
Sex does not self heal
Nor does the salamander
we trapped under the moss
We always said
We'd die together
At daybreak
We knew better
Love does not always
fill the heart
On rainy nights
It kills the heart
The noon at the clinic
shall remain our secret
The long recovery
Bittersweet
We woke this morning
To our failed romance
Your boyfriend from Somalia
He was right
Some women are exotic
Like goldfish
only less slippery
Always out of reach
Behold our beautiful flag,
The symbol of our patriotism,
The pride of blackness of Kenyans,
The redness of blood for independence,
The green highlands we cherish,
The whiteness of our peace and love
With the shields and arrows to defend
The fabric and kenyanism in us.
Let Kenya be great again,
Let it be the dreams the dreamers dreamed..
Let it be the strongest wonder of love and hope,
The paradise of all kings,
The land of liberty,
The land where our cultures prosper,
And the land free from terror and grieve.
Oh, Kenya! Kenya!
Let Kenya be Kenyan again,
The land of where patriots are free,
The land where equality is cherished,
The land where we mumble in light,
The land free of racism and abuse,
The land that respects human rights,
And the land of opportunity to all.
Be Not Afraid
When God Says so
everything is permitted
The genocide on screens
was sanctioned from heaven
800 acres 800 graves
In the name of God
Their Journey was hastened
The heavens were opened
"I saw visions of God."
Ezekiel was preaching
Be not Afraid
The Government has faith
The chief was ordained
His cup was brimming
A man Of God
His blessings revealing
Death permits signed
The Heaven Resort was booming
The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel
There the hand of the Lord was dirty
The Gospel of McKenzie
Be not Afraid
The Politicians are cracking
The politics politicking
And Justice is coming
The God Of Israel fighting for Kenya
The God of Kenyans sacrificed for favour
The house of God is a Morgue
DP said it is something small
800 Dead, It's no big deal
The dead are home
Each one went straight ahead
Wherever The spirit Goes They Go
McKenzie was Mediating
Be not Afraid
Shakahola will repeat
When the systems are broken
The saviours are needed
When St Peter is corrupted
The devils do sneak In
When your God is Imported
Prosperity is Gospel
And those desperate in need
Forget even Christ Lost faith
When the creatures moved
To the appearance of the likeness
But is easier to forget
Than pay the price of reality
I quit
I throw my hands down
and sit, sometimes
they called for reconciliation without
justice
They called for justice without
truth
Now they ask for prayer without
confession, umpteenth,
it chafes
Has dishonesty made you inadequate
to let go the desecration
infringement
negligence
graft
shame of these violations
which bake violence?
Yet another fifth year
our memo calls us to speak
See how they dance
under a canopy of placards
and a forest of words,
a crescendo of noise,
call for peace without unity
hunger hugs not a belching belly
wretchedness forever at
enmity with riches
Fellow man,
the weight been
long and heavy
Le band's gang led
they have a dance,
You got a date, a dicot
conscience, chagrin
It's about time you made
love to your country!
Take a big deep
cast your ballot for
broken toe nails
parched throats
unattended sick
the illiterate
the young dead
wrinkled bellies
and running stomachs
Bow not unto any creed,
tongue, but go forth
eyes closed
and spit into the storm
Puaaah!
KENYA
Ndege ya unyanyapaa inapaa,
kila siku ni balaa.
Alaa,
alaa!
Hamna kazi,
swali hili ni wazi.
Haya sio maneno tu,
bali ni kilio cha waja.
Wengi wanaodhulumiwa,
kilio ni cha haki!
Tumechoka na uhuni,
unaokiuka kanuni.
Vyakula,
bei ghali!
Maisha yetu yamo mnadani,
dalali mate yanamdondoka!
Sisi sote ni binadamu,
ni wakati.
Tuungane,
tuimarishe nchi yetu.
Kenya,
ni yetu sote.
IAN MUNYWE©
I’ve heard tell of some suicide cult in Kenya;
Poor folk pledged to starve themselves to death
For God’s glory, and so malevolent surgeons
Can harvest their organs for profit in trade.
Well, I’ve been to Kenya, and I can say this:
Mombasa seemed quite exotic with its
Sculpted elephant tusk archway granting
Unfettered access to the Year of the Cat.
The open road to Nairobi was a safari adventure in itself,
Needing no explanation other than a quarter pound
Of the finest black Afghan hashish this side of Kandahar.
While in Kenya, I never once thought of killing myself.
But I did determine that it would be unsafe
To pass out drunk in any public venue
For fear of waking up with a pain in my side
And find I’m missing one of my kidneys. Kenya, dig it.
TAKING A BREAK IN KENYA
toss my hair
roaches parachute
bedward dive
lights now burn
reader's paradise
all night long