Where I come From

By Munira Hussein- 
a poem that tells a true story and create a real image of our dystopian society.

Where I come from,

Dust flows like a river

It even rises like ocean waves

The sun shines brighter than silver

  Where I come from

The grass is dry and bitter

The people are dull and thinner

  Where I come from,

Cars drive by once in a year

A jet might never fly through our air,

Darkness brings us together,

We sit by the fire and sing.

  Where I come from,

Tribes are at war

Diversity for us,

Is such a loss

Education is parked in the stores

Love is thrown down ocean floors

Oceans not found within our walls.

  Where I come from,

Children are taught to sow

Seeds of bitterness so sour

And reap sweet fruits

Of hatred and vengeance.

   Where I come from,

Neighbours don’t borrow

They walk in, pinch your salt

They sit down, eat from your bowl

They don’t knock, neither do they shut

 Where I come from,

Goats bleat in the morning,

They are our chirping birds that sing of glory

Cows moo away the evening

They are the trumpets welcoming our rest.

 Where I come from,

the grass is green when it rains

the farms are lined

with green soldiers that sway

  where I come from,

parties are unheard of.

Though the youth smoke and chew,

Hospitals lack doctors and nurses

Schools lack tutors

Businesses lack a market

Yet the youth walk around rugged

 Where I come from,

Civilization is unplugged

Conservation is preserved

Forward movement is declined

So we dwell in darkness

when the world chose light

we opted for a cave,

the few elites ran away,

brain drain,

I hear them say

Where I come from

Where I come from

When We First Met

By Elizabeth Opiyo

The first time I met Seth,
I was confused and infused
I couldn’t wait to tell him that he was cute,
I wasn’t sure if Electric was the right word for his eyes that had already been locked into mine.
I lacked the exact slang word to use; between hottie or a hunky.
And I was thinking of a hot selfie with him at the same time,
But when I got the chance to tell him,
I only said “wow!”
And he asked “What?” And I replied that I’ve seen my dream car.

I thought that fate was responsible for all this and I wanted us to go for a first date,
It felt like the ether together with the angels had paid me a surprise visit,
And they gave me a brand-new smile’.
I saw him in everything that came my way.
The reason I talked, smiled and sleep walked.
The reason I cried when I was supposed to be sleeping.
I wanted him by my side,
To soothe the feelings that I could not hide.

I wished to make him the one friend I would never offend,
His flaws I wanted to hide under my toes,
Because I only trusted my shoes at keeping secrets,
I wanted him to put a ring on my finger,
And between the same fingers,
his strength and his hope, I wanted to give a home,

Yes, I dreamt and wished for this,
Until I forgot and abandoned me,
The little innocent girl I used to be,
I never knew that I had grown up into a woman I wasn’t familiar with,
A woman who had become her own enemy,
A woman who had left her place in the world,
Locked up her thoughts in prison,
And found a dreadful space in the cruel heart of a beast.

With a little introspection and self-realization,
I was strong enough to walk back… back, back, back,
To that little pretty innocent girl I had left in the world of reality,
Just to hug her tight and instead of telling her sorry,
To let her know that the lesson was worth the hurt,
Just to remind her to forget the pain and start again,
A life full of self-love and hope,
Because hope never died,

Hope was only waiting for me to decide.
For I was only one step away.

What If They Cared A Little?

Written by Elizabeth Opiyo
A poem on Poor healthcare

A beautiful Saturday morning

Seems like the moon has true love for the sun

That he has sacrificed his life to let her shine

Under the blazing hot flares of the sun I bask

Wondering why we could never afford medication for mum and dad

This confounding question really makes me emotional

Stopping me from overlooking the beauty of the sun

And I run into our small creaky hut;

Daddy is down, silent and long gone

I run to the shade confused

Mummy is out, silent, a life she doesn’t own,

I stare with rage, my confused desolation;

My lost concern, my new life in isolation;

I am between the distances, tied to space;

So now I remember, their sickness had earned a pace;

That mad doctor, that cruel nurse;

Or maybe it’s the hospital, maybe not their fault?

But what if they cared a little?

What if they showed a little compassion?

What if they saved the time?

Time wasted on the queue, time to diagnose;

What if that day, they could treat before pay?

And paid more attention, just a little for the theater;

But they were adamant when it all started,

Cut them profusely and never startled,

I needed it, but I needed them too;

The transplants, the imprints of their love;

But they faced the monster, and risked it all for me,

So today I am gone, lonely in decision,

And I’m still scared of those cruel monsters

Who call themselves nurses but instead of nursing,

They are cursing and shouting at their patients;

Killing even the little hope they have left.

I know that there are some with wondrously beautiful hearts,

But such are rare to find.

Sometimes I feel like shutting my memories forever

So that I may never remember

These facts, the fact that I live in a country,

Where I cannot afford healthcare

Where I cannot afford the therapies for my cancer,

The pills and the medicine without well wishers

The fact that these health givers,

 Will still treat me as if I’m a drain,

No matter my pain;

No matter my dying condition,

And even that innocent child,

 Will never know their kindness

Even at the last minute of their life.

I wish you could feel this pain like I do,

Then you could recollect your compassion,

That caring heart that you spare for your loved ones

And assure me that everything will be fine,

Instead of staring at your watch,

Counting on the hours I have left on this bed,

The hours I have left in this world.