Idly shuffle the cards
Lay them out on the table
In whatever shape you like.
Turn them over, one by one.
Is that Jack of hearts
Your first real boyfriend?
The one who broke up with you
Because you “weren’t his type”?
The one who broke your heart
For the first time?
Turn over some others.
Three of spades, seven of spades,
Ace and nine of spades –
Too many spades.
Digging into your psyche,
Shoveling up things
You don’t want to remember.
The dance class your mother
Made you take at the club
To which you didn’t belong
And being the wallflower
The teacher had to dance with.
Not having a date for the prom
When you were on the committee
And having to ask your cousin
To come from out of town
So you could go to the dance.
The college boy who told
His friends you slept with him
After you told him no,
And then you had a “reputation”.
Dates in college not repeated
Because you weren’t “cooperative.”
Enough of that!
Turn the cards back face down,
Stack them up into a pack.
Shuffle them over again.
Leave them on the table
I say...I say
that
college boy
up yonder
with
them
college books
over there
ain't
smarter
than
a
ten watt
lightbulb
said
the
Rhode Island Red Rooster
JACKIE OILY PALMS
I recall them days that i lived
at the east coast of Kenya
then a college boy
We lived at the hostels near customs
in a place near an animal orphanage
Hallers park- near Bombolulu town
Where coastal s loved to partake
sweet palm wine straight from
the palm trees all over the region
Me Georgie and Jackie
then best of buddies
went to try out the wine
Started out on the real wine
before they offered us 'cham'
claiming its oil from the palms
First taste i know its locally distilled spirits
very potent and lethal.. i edge my buddies off
but despite.. they decide to partake the spirit
back to the eatery Jackie now eating
from the dinning table apparently those
who partake palm oil don't need plates
Jackie following day too sick cant attend classes
we did-int tell him the secret that me and Georgie
threw up all we drank from our delicate stomachs
Brave Jackie held it in and Memo had to comfort him
..Sorry Jackie you have malaria fever and your so sick..hic..
we dint let go that twas the palm spirits haunting our Jackie
lewis k NYAGA
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