I am convinced beyond the obvious
that I should pen no biography
neither should you write one for me
my conscience stubbornly believes
that I need none
for even if one is written
it will only reflect a portion of my life
for there is life after death
a longer one
either in heaven or hell
and that too will fight for a share
in my contentious biography
certainly it will deceive the younger generation
for it will divert them from their childhood dreams
and start following my crooked ways
the ways I never wished myself
it will deceive a teenager from being a lawyer
and drive him to an under paid poet
it will deceive a girl and make her miss the adventurers of being an air hostess
and sail her to less appreciated career of an actress
I am not fit to be a role model
I am not ready to mentor anyone to those ways
it will be a sin with no amnesty
so my dear competitors in poetry
spare me any biography
© wilson manyuira
It would be wise of you to forget about her
And move on with your life
She was great and everything
But she is your past and you should let her stay there
Getting hung up on someone who left you is not healthy
It would be nice to see you getting your life back on track again
It would be nice if you left me alone
You can’t possibly know what we shared, what she meant to me
I don’t want to move on just yet and it’s by choice
People handle things differently you know and
I’m kindly requesting you to let me take care of this, my way
It would be wise of you to respect and support my decision
© james wamathai
There was a merchant in Baghdad who sent his servant to the market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the market-place I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture; now, lend me your horse and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will to Samarra and there death will not find me. The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went.
Then the merchant went down to the market-place and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning? That was not a threatening gesture, I said, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.
*** This story was translated from Arabic but the author remains anonymous. It appears however, in Jeffrey Archer’s short story collection To cut a long story short, Somerset Maugham’s play Sheppey and as a preface to John O’Hara’s Appointment in Samarra.
When i started being active on twitter, there was this hilarious trending topic (TT) called #youknowyouarekenyan. I saved some that i liked and they are here below.
1. If anything pisses you off and you pull out the railway lines.
2. When you use the words “and finally” during a speech and keep going for another 30 minutes
3. If you call any hot beverage tea, be it chocolate or coffee
4. If you stop in the middle of the street to drop or pick up passengers
5. When you don’t need Speed Cameras, the Potholes do the job just fine
6. If someone stops in town, points up and you look
7. If you call the watchman soldier.
8. When a dictatorial blood-soaked & out of touch former president is an ICON!
9. If you have ever said ‘Me I…’ at the beginning of a sentence.
10. If the police chief is suddenly the postmaster general.
11. When guys scram for 14 seater dirty matatus blaring vulgar music while the smart bus is clean and empty.
12. When you butt in on things you know nothing about
13. When multiple languages pop up in your sentences, for example “yawa !si i went to that ka-place kuangalia the kiria …”
14. When you say “I walked on foot”.
15. When you say “I closed my eyes and bought it”
16. When you say “I saw it with my own eyes”. Um, who else’s might you have seen it with? 
17. When you call someone and first thing you say is ‘sema’ or ‘uko?’
18. If you go to church to check out chicks
19. When you like YOUR OWN facebook status updates
20. If u grew up calling the beauty salon, Saloon!
21. If you have cell phone lines you’ve never even used
22. When you see the police and you get scared despite the fact that these guys are supposedly looking out for you…
23. When the car coming at you at full speed driving on the wrong side of the road hoots at you to get out of the way!
24. If you are known by your children’s name e.g Mama Kayai, Mama Kamau
25. When rationing for water, electricity and sugar is normal.
26. When an accident occurs and instead the injured being helped they are looted.
27. If u hear a blast and instead of running away, you all run to see where it came from.
***Collected from Twitter
Theres something about that pitter patter
of the rain
Pitter patter,pitter patter
Like pixies dancing in heaven
to the tune of
Pitter patter,pitter patter
Its that pitter patter that brings people together,
That pitter patter that makes people grow ‘horns’ instantaneously
And that cold that comes with it, makes people seek refuge
in each others arms
Ending up dancing to the irresistible tune of
Pitter patter
Before long there are more back-seat crimes than theft,
And other despicable acts
The pitter patter is blamed for them,
As if that sweet innocent pitter patter
Forced anyone against their will,
Ooh that mood that comes with the pitter patter
Very soothing and relaxing it is…
© Nakoli Maloba
For the union of minds
Exchange of hearts
Bonding of souls
In my heart all that i got is you
And every beat reminds me of you
Of the times we’ve been together
Of the memories we’ve shared and want to relive
The pain we bore and the atrocities of life
I remember the days when my shadow would walk,
beside me on the lonely streets
The days i was afraid to lean
because i would definitely topple
The times i wished someone would find me
because i was without you
The times when i was cold and empty inside,
as if i lived not
Not anymore, those days are gone
You are now here with me and for me
And there’s that look you give me that drives a lot into me,
That look that gives me strength to carry on
even when am exhausted and want to quit,
Sweetheart, you are that sugar fix
that relieves me when i get those sugar rushes that make you anxious…
© Nakoli Maloba
Amidst my industrious mind
I still think of you most of the time.
Which, I don’t mind.
Feeling my mind with dreams and desires.
Babe,
You don’t call and I feel
Like I am running mad.
You stay away from my sight
For just a day,
It seems a century
Babe,
I am hypnotized by you
Name it and it’s done.
Shed a tear, I’ll mourn.
Smile and I’ll merry.
Babe,
My castle is with you
I trust my strength
My fears and future
With the safety of your heart
Babe,
The friend I’ll never get.
The love I’ve never felt.
The peace I thirst for,
After a hustling day.
The hope in my blue days.
Babe,
My babe,
I think I am in love with you!
I long to hold your tender hands,
To feel your warm hug,
Get that bye kiss,
Only moments after seeing you off.
With you, day and night are all the same.
Time forgets our paths.
I love to listen while you talk,
Shelter you from the rain,
Listen to your angelic voice sing.
Be an audience to your dance moves,
As you aim to become a better dancer.
Love to see you cheer a good presentation.
To a bad one, you definitely boo.
I love your self confidence and determination
Even when hardest hit.
You simply never give up!
In short, a go getter.
You also know how to differentiate
What you must make happen,
When to wait on Gods provision,
Most important, accept what you can’t.
You are so deep!
See, Babe,
For all this and more,
I think I’m in love with you.
So I choose you.
© sarah n.
