Mid-night Brawl

Prevailing altercation,
A string of expletives,
A dash of angry shouting,
Rent the warm night air.

The faithful night breeze,
Carried the commotion far and wide,
Rats stopped their activities to listen,
Crickets stopped their innocuous sounds.

The man could be heard quite distinctly,
Effing and blinding strenuously,
Barking, screaming and shouting,
As he pulled his wife by her hair.

Finally, the two were outside.
And the whole world with them,
The world watched as they rolled and turned,
Clutched, clawed and hit each other.

The man shouted:
You have betrayed our love,
You did confidently sleep,
With my friend, under my very roof!

The neighbours very well remembered,
The tall, lanky fellow,
Who had discreetly left the man's house,
Early that evening.

The woman heatedly rejoined:
You slept with the chief's wife last week,
You moved around with my best friend,
And I did not raise as much as an eyebrow.


The bandying was sustained for as long as it could hold,
With either party venting their heart's contents on the other,
The man was the first one to have enough of it all,
As he slammed his burning fist against her face.

Face Challenges Head-on: The Battle is not for the Self-effacing

In his book Ake, Wole Soyinka writes what his grandfather told him about dealing with bullies:
"Wherever you find yourself, don't run away from a fight. Your adversary will probably be bigger, he will trounce you the first time. Next time you meet him, challenge him again. He will beat you all over again. The third, time I promise you this, you will either defeat him or he will run away."

As we enter this New Year, let us brace ourselves for change, new challenges and new ways of dealing with these challenges and difficulties. Life is not for the faint-hearted but for those who have the heart of a lion.

Dr Maya Angelou once said: "You may encounter many defeats, but you must never be defeated. It may even be necessary to encounter some defeats to know who you are. Forgive yourself – no one else will."

The good thing is that challenges never leave you where they find you. When you bare your muscle and brawn and fight through the mist of near-defeat, you emerge better than you started out. Furthermore, nothing good comes easy. In fact, faint heart never won fair lady!

Challenges come to mould us and make us strong. They come to help us focus even more intently on matters at hand.
My call to us today is to face challenges that come our way with sober minds and to realise that the battle is for the strong (not necessarily physical strength) and not for the fearful and self-effacing.

Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year

It's been nice and, let me say, encouraging to have had your company for most of this year. It has been a pleasure to have been writing my blog posts for your eyes only: I have loved it every bit of the way.

Why am I writing all this? Is it that I am throwing in the towel on blogging and indirectly bidding you goodbye?
No, never! Once you have been bitten by the blog bug it becomes pretty difficult to wean yourself off blogging. It is one of the best addictions I have seen around for a long time (at least better than drug addiction, what do you reckon?).

The reason for writing this: I'll be travelling upcountry to visit family during this festive season. For this reason, I'll not be able to blog for a week or so.
"Why?" you ask.
The 'upcountry' where I am travelling to is not well served with Internet facilities. Internet 'access points' are few and far between. Anyway, I'll miss you all.

Feel free to visit my other blogs (links below):

African Affairs

Career and Workplace

Fgm: Down With It!

Finally, I wish you a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year. Till we meet again: Take care and God bless you!

A Fly in the Soup

Diner: Bring me some soup and make sure a fly isn't in it. When I ate lunch here yesterday, there was a fly in my soup!
Waiter: Oh, that can't happen today, sir, because our special is frogs' legs.
Diner: What's today's special have to do with a fly in my soup?
Waiter: Before the chef cooked the frogs, they ate every fly in the place.
.........................

Diner: Waiter, there's a fly in my soup.
Waiter: Don't worry, sir. The spider on the bread will eat it.
............................

Diner: Waiter, there's a roach in my soup and he's drowning.
Waiter: Well, sir, shall I teach him how to swim or strap a life preserver on his back?
..............................

Diner: There's a fly in the bottom of my teacup, waiter. What does this mean?
Waiter: How do I know? I am a waiter not a fortune teller.
..................................

Diner: Waiter, there's a fly in my soup!
Waiter: That's alright, sir. He won't drink much.
.......................................

Diner: Waiter, there's a dead fly in my soup.
Waiter: What do you want us to do – have a funeral?
...................................

Diner: Waiter, there's a fly in my soup!
Waiter: I've been looking all over for him.
.........................................



Diner: Waiter, why are these flies in my soup?
Waiter: Because we're all out of DDT, so we decided to drown them.
.........................................

Diner: Waiter, there's a fly in my soup!
Waiter: All right, I'll get you a fork.
............................................

Diner: Hey, waiter, there's a fly in my soup!
Waiter: Shh! Everybody will want one.
...............................................
Diner: Waiter, there's a fly in my soup!
Waiter: What did you expect with the cheap dinner – a hummingbird?
...........................................

Diner: Waiter, there's a fly in my soup!
Waiter: Ah, cornered at last!
...............................................

A Slip of the Tongue

In the shoes of a teacher whose tongue did a jumble, in front of the whole school and parents on closing day, when he was reading the marks of the pupils for all present to hear.

'Twas on closing day,
When my tongue did a jumble,
Not my liking, I suppose,
But it did all the same.

'Stood up to read the marks,
And I called parents pupils,
Tried again, stammering,
But it didn't help a thing.

Okay, I was corrected,
And called parents parents,
I could see them smiling,
Smiling at my slip.

'Asked them to forgive me,
For I would read in Kiswahili,
There again my tongue somersaulted,
This time my face felt hot.

I don't know what they thought of me,
A tall, good-for-nothing teacher, maybe,
But one thing I know, surely,
All of us 've had a slip one time or the other.

Please Forgive Me

These are the words of a man asking for forgiveness from a woman. It takes loads and loads of guts for a man to ask for forgiveness from a woman. Most men believe asking for forgiveness, especially from a woman, is stooping too low and that it is a sign of subservience. However, I say, men of honour admit when they are wrong and, unabashedly, ask for forgiveness (even from women!)

I am lost for words,
Because of how I played my cards,
It's a real shame,
To even imagine.

'can't imagine,
That I did it,
To no one but you,
I simply can't imagine:

To you,
Whom yours is mine,
And mine yours,
I did such a damn thing.

How could I break your heart?
I know it hurt,
Right betwixt and between,
The wound and the flesh.

Oh, please do for...

'can't bring myself,
To say what I must,
(Though, I really mean it),
Please honour my request.

Don't shame me this once,
Lend me a listening ear,
Right, are you set?
Let me spill the beans.

I verily entreat you,
And earnestly ask,
Do forgive me,
Please forgive me:

Oh please do...

Love

Eyes meet,
Hearts soften,
Softer than butter;
The heat in the bowels,
Melts the heart,
And it starts flowing,
All over,
Down to the legs;
Weakening them,
To the hands;
Making them do the works,
That no other can,
To the head;
Making it dizzy,
To the eyes;
You go crazy.

The melt heart,
Flows out to the other,
Eye talking to eye,
Wanting only the best,
The very best,
For the other.

Do You Really Know?

Do you know,
Really know,
What you think,
You know,
Really know?

Maybe you just think,
That you know,
When you don't know,
What you know,
And what you really don't know.

So do you think,
That you can know,
What you really,
Don't know,
When you don't want to know,
That you don't know;
And that you will only know,
When you accept that you,
Really don't know.

So do you really know?

Nail on the Head

When people want to say something,
They beat about the bush,
They don't want to push,
They feel it's not posh.

I reprimand 'em,
In the harshest of terms;
If you want something,
Get it without thumping.

If you so do,
You'll reduce alot of loops,
Which form the nooks,
That destroy our looks.

School

When early I wake,
The trudge at stake,
The shoes at flake,
For school, I take.

When my time I take,
To get to the gate,
The prefect on date,
Records my fate.

When we start the day,
The teacher on stay,
Keeps laziness at bay,
By shunning play.

At the end of the spell,
Of education's well,
We feel swell,
In the power of school.

Your Eyes

Your eyes look, blink,
How wonderful your face is,
With your small, white, oval,
Distinctive feature of your,
Round face,
Your Eyes.

What a magnet they have,
They look, a sweet smile,
On your face;
I was captivated, enthralled,
Brought closer, eye talking to eye,
Fell on your bosom and kissed you.

Your breath was heavy,
As we breathed vigorously,
And our hands doing the works,
That no other could do;
Jaded and out of breath,
We fell on the grass,
I thinking of only,
Your eyes.

Morning Cold

Just like a soldier,
Ready with a gun,
So is the cold,
Ready for me.


When I awake,
And, blankets I strew,
It pounces and says,"Ahoy there."
It seeps through my bones.

I shudder, cringe and cower,
With teeth chattering like a mower,
Goose pimples are the evidence,
Of this monster: Morning cold!

A Sentimental Village Dam

A narrow path leads to this beautiful expanse. Nature's blended beauty. At the end of the path is a big, green clearing.

At the far end, lies a small expanse of muddy-brown water – where grazing cattle saunter to quench their thirst. They slosh, splash, and even venture to graze on the grass floating lazily on the water.

Just where the path joins this expanse, sit them – the boys. Boys, who undoubtedly have thrown all caution to the winds, sit there chitchatting and spinning yarns. Some of them lie with their bellies on the green carpet as they enjoy everything that is going on.

A joke is taken up, tossed about until the air hangs down heavily with laughter. Their raucous, guttural laughs reverberate throughout the field.

The colour of their clothes blends with that of the water: brown and dirty. One of the boys sports a dirty-brown headband whose original colour was white. In between their chitchat, they throw casual glances at the cattle they brought to graze, and then, retiredly, plunge back into their rigmarole.

To the extreme left of the field, are women waiting for their clothes to dry. These clothes billow in the cool breeze that caresses the surface of the green beauty from time to time. The ocean-blue sky is sprinkled with sparse white sailing boats that move with the breeze.

On the opposite side of the green expanse, is a line of trees that get nourishment from this muddy-brown water. These trees bow to let the breeze pass as it carries the secret of the green expanse far and wide.

The sun sends out its rays, soft rays, to touch and caress the beautiful green grass. When you sit on this velvet-soft grass, your mind floods with memories. Memories which are more than stories. Fond memories of how you spent your time, with a lass, kissing her sensuous lips, in the yellow moonlight beside this expanse of water which is a dam to more than many. Memories of when you once would sit on the grass, a pen in hand, and pen many a poem drawing courage and inspiration from this scenic 'conglomeration'.

Love In Disguise?

Abstruse, obscure, recondite, name it:
'T rankles in my mind and soul;
Now I feel a fool,
And, to contend with it, I have.

In the absence of the lass,
I feel nothing but gas,
Lighting up my inner man,
And soar high up, I do.

In the presence of the lass,
I feel nothing, totally nothing,
Only curt responses and nods,
'Stain' our communion.

In the absence of the lass,
Her picture: radiant, alive,
Floats before my mind's eye,
Sate, I smile warmly.

In the presence of the lass,
Pictures of this and whatever,
Float before my mind's eye,
Discreetly, politely, I look away.

In the absence of the lass,
I tell myself "I'll surely tell her,
That tremors she causes in me."
I'll surely say: "I love you."

In the presence of the lass,
Nothing is given away,
No emotion, no feeling,
Only a cold, unresponsive duo.

Surely, this is eating at me,
Eating, tearing at my every fibre,
Someone please do tell me,
Can this be termed 'Love in disguise?'

Gossip: The Art of Twisting Words

Dedicated to the women who live next door (my neighbours); Dedicated to the men who behave like these neighbours of mine; Dedicated to all those who've, painstakingly, learnt the art of twisting words!

Women gather,
Mouths twitching,
Tongues softening,
Ready for the long,
Volley of words,
They will partake.

So and So is,
Such and Such was,
When and What will,
Tongues flip,
Mouths untiring,
A glass of water does the trick.

Someone said:
Gossip is one way of getting info,
(But) If you sip it,
You might buy a pig in a poke,
A big, black, lard-laden pig!

How twisted the alphabet is!
How twisted the world is!
How twisted our meeting places are!
How twisted our agenda is!
The how, the where and the what are all damn twisted.

Black, Bleak Christmas

This poem (which I wrote in 1999) is in memory of my uncle who was murdered in Nairobi in the same year. He was one of the actors in the Vioja Mahakamani show on KBC. His name (on the set) was "Mutiso". His real name was " Peter Kimunio". My mother died two months before him. To both of you, I miss you.

'Twas on twenty first of December,
The year nineteen hundred and ninety nine,
When my dear charming uncle, Mutiso,
Gave up his ghost to the unknown.

'Heard over the T.V,
That he was murdered,
By unknown assailants,
Just outside his house.

Oh no!
They should have let you,
See Christmas,
Or even the new millenium.

Why did they come for you?
Why had you done to them?
Or is it devilish envy,
Of your superb acting capabilities?

It surely is a black Christmas for us,
And all those who knew you,
As for me,
It is double black.

My mum and you,
Have gone away,
In the course of this year,
That surely is double black.

May those who killed you, uncle,
Be caught up by the law,
May they not know peace,
Someone agree with me, please!

Welling Memories

Tears welled in my eyes,
As I thought,
Of memories long gone,
Memories that still linger.

I was once,
A small boy of pity,
Who was helpless,
And depended, for support, on mother.

When the boy next door,
Came brandishing his fist,
I scurried to mother calling,
And only insulted at her side.

I was jeered at,
By other boys,
Who had the energy to waste,
Playing their dirty paper ball!

The slightest,
Bullying and punching,
Broke my heart of glass,
And hot tears streamed my cheeks.

How vulnerable I was,
How puerile, really,
Least did I know,
It was the 'naturalest' of things.

But now I am old,
I know it so very well,
That struggle is the purpose,
Of our mortal lives.

That is the lesson,
Of growing from childhood,
To the 'adult world',
I know it only too well.

If That's What It Takes

Time and again,
I have been told,
"Men never cry,
They brave it courageously."

Men are the leaders,
The heads with heads,
As hard as stone,
That will never crack.

But least do they know,
That they also have emotions,
Without a cry they might fry,
In the pan of insanity.

If that's what it takes,
To become a man,
I had better become a free bird,
Which isn't as bird.

The Failure Syndrome: Don't Let It Infect You

When you mention failure, some people cringe, some cower and others twist their noses in a manner likely to suggest that failure is not their lot in life (and can never even dare come their way!). What sanctimonious pride!

There have been hyped messages suggesting (even dragging it to the "fact" list) that failure is part of life. Some have even gone to the extent of quoting what famous men (Sir Winston Churchill and his ilk) said about failure and take it that without failure one is as good as dead.

Being puffed up with the pride of knowing as many quotes as possible on failure and saying that you "fail forwards on the road to success" while, in essence, you are doing nothing to salvage matters, will not, and does not, help save face.

To come to terms with failure, we have to deal with the core causes first. We do court failure some of the time, giving it the time and space to bare its fangs. When we vacillate, its venom is injected into our systems paralyzing them.

Is failure staring you in the face?
Check these faucets:
 Time:
How do you use your time? Time is one of the most precious things all people are equally endowed with. Use it wisely and prudently. Plan well to make maximum profits from time invested.
• Don't ruminate over 'tomorrow' today at the expense of what has to be accomplished 'today'. Otherwise, you'll spend your 'tomorrow' regretting why you didn't do what you ought to have done 'today'. That's a wasted resource that can never, ever, be recovered.
 Opportunities:
The proverb 'Fortune knocks once at every man's door' has a subtle warning attached to it. Look at it twice and you'll see it: If you don't take up opportunity when it knocks, chances are that it won't come knocking again. Take opportunities for what they are: Gems on the scoreboard of success, and run with them to their utter limits.
 Bulldog Tenacity:
• You have to relentlessly pursue opportunities and relationships that have positive impacts on you performance. Without such a quality, some obstacles would mean the end of your journey to success. Hold on, fight through (snarl, if you can) and victory is yours for the taking.
 Relationships:
• No man is an island. You need people in order to advance your career. You need people to help you through. You need to lie on someone's shoulder for comfort and support. You desperately need people around you for approval (and criticism!)
• You can never wish to get the best from people around you if your relationship with them is shaky and feigned.
• Treat people well, show them that you care and you'll be surprised how they respond when you need them to help you out.
• Treating people well involves listening to them and valuing their input and effort.
 Trust and Integrity:
Being a man or a woman of integrity will open many doors for you. This is simply because most people like associating with people whom they can trust (of course there are others who have an acrid view towards faithfulness and integrity).
• Let people trust you with their money, secrets and well being. You need this in your quest for success.
 People's Mistakes:
• Try to know the reasons that made some people fail (in a certain venture, for instance) and purpose, with your heart of hearts, not to make the same mistakes. In essence, learn from other people's mistakes.

Failure is like a roaring lion that roams about seeking for prey to devour. At all costs, let the prey not be you.

Are you as good as your word?

Men and women of integrity are people of their word. As their word is, so is their action.


One of the easiest things to do on earth is to say you'll do something, while you have no intention of doing so. You say so just to put off a present pressure not thinking what your word will portend for you in future.

Is your yes a genuine yes? Is your no a genuine no? Do you say yes or no to foster a genuine cause or does the pit of your bowels quake, most of the time you use them, for you mean not what you say?
Pythagoras, the great Mathematician, said ' the oldest, shortest words – yes and no – are those which require the most thought. ' How very true!

When you say, "I'll stand by you come rain come high water", do you mean every bit of it? Do you suffer from bouts of vacillation once you set out to execute that which you say?
These are too many questions to answer at one sitting. Nevertheless, they are enough to drive a point home.

We must be mature enough to become accountable for our word – we must see that we keep it when we give it. Many people pile load after load of guilt upon themselves by not keeping their word, then wonder why they have ulcers, heart problems and motley of other problems.

Our word, when given, is a source of faith to those who receive it, and determines their conduct. When the word is not kept, unbelief develops.

Sometimes people who refuse to compromise truth or principle are viewed with contempt. People who are of questionable behaviour fear to associate themselves with men and women of integrity because they fear their unethical behaviour will be exposed.

Surely, light and darkness cannot be accommodated in the same room. One of them has to bow and leave. Incidentally, something worth noting here is that when light enters a dark room, the darkness has to flee; but darkness cannot dare enter a room that is well lighted. It goes to show that people of integrity are a force to reckon with.

Sadly, people of integrity and unquestionable principle are becoming rarer and rarer by the day. Countless numbers of men and women who were once famed for their integrity are opting for mediocre, second-rate lives (lives that are 'easier' to live as there is less accountability). In the long run respect, honour and moral uprightness are thrown out the window. But don't lie to yourself: you can never lie to your conscience. It will always remind you the wonderful path you forsook for God knows what reasons!

Your conscience is the most important thing you possess, second only to your soul. Guard it! Screen it! Unclog it! For heaven's sake, keep it
alive!
Remember:
• Standing for right when it's unpopular is a true test for moral character.
• Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
• Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Never pity yourself. Be a hard master to yourself; be lenient to everybody else.
• Excellence is the result of habitual integrity.