The gods were sleeping

We listened to the hooting owl,

Declaring death upon our house.

Where were the gods of our land

When our loved ones were struck?

Are their ears so deaf, they can’t hear

The supplications of the faithful ones?

Are their eyes so blind they can’t see,

The malicious ploys of the evil one?

The great iroko tree has fallen

To the malicious axe of the evil one,

Scattering our natural habitation

Like headless chicken we fret,

Scampering in all directions

We have fallen apart with no discernible order

Who will pick our broken bones?

"The Thing I Love"

Today,
With my bow and arrow,
I killed the thing I love.
Cupid must have been busy,
Overwhelmed by the many shots you took
That when I drew mine and aimed,
I killed it instead.

I swear I'm not a murderer.
Yet I murdered it's heart.
With my obstinacy,
And insidiousness
I'm as guilty as charged—
A murderer.
A sleuth mongrel.

I sniffed and snuffed
Its fragrance,
With one whiff and puff
I murdered it.

Let the daggers be drawn
In revenge and defense,
I stand trial.
What hath I,
Left to save,
An empty shell?

Secret Vows

“Dear lover,

We took our vows

In the secrecy of the night,

‘To love, honor and cherish each other’

Under the night sky,

The stars were our witnesses,

The moon was our confidant

In the glimmer of the moonlight,

Two shadows stood erect,

Love struck and spellbound by cupid

Our fate was sealed

For twenty years and counting,

We have watched the sunrise and fall,

With dreams and aspirations of a new dawn

Like the old stars,

Our journey has been long but fruitful

Full of cries and laughs of the little ones,

The joys of motherhood

I am not perfect,

You bring out the best in me

I plead my allegiance

To those vows twenty years ago

Do not be wary of the dark,

Nor the dangers of the park

I will be there to hold your hand

Letter to the gods

"Dear gods,

My minions and I are not a happy lot

Not at all—

You've been so generous

What a season of boon

For the faithfuls!

You've found harvest tenfold

No souls lured in a decade

For many are your righteous servants

Who else's left to deceive,

With the faithful congregations

So keen on the angelic train?”

Signed, 

“The Devil”




Copyright 2014 | the-speaking-poet | Boneace Chagara

Curse of O'Tinga

O Kenya, my beloved motherland,

why have you forsaken me?

"Africa killed her son",

and so have you

You detached my umbilical cord*

Even before I was born,

and you cast me away with jubileetion*-

to wallow in the abyss of shattered dreams

The amatimoni*of the past have conspired

against my "Coming to Birth"-

I am just but a victim of circumstances,

I plead guilty to sins of my fathers

My brothers have outdone themselves,

We joked and laughed our hearts out in public,

but deep down their hearts they schemed against me

Sons of my mother, indulge me on this one-

What wisdom is there

in burning down our mother's hut?

Yes, we are brothers indeed,

that is why everytime I reach for the plate,

you strike my hand off, so that i don't feed

Sons of Namulolwe*,

We have fought a good fight,

but it is "Not Yet Uhuru"
http://thespeakingpoet.blogspot.com

Evils Unequaled

Prongs point and prick-

bruising,

hurting

Paws pounce and paw-

Scratching,

Scraping 

But your gentle touch's

Soft and soothing,

Yet so provocative

Your malevolent smile's

Dangerous and beautiful

Your spellbinding looks jam my radars,

Sending chills across my spine

What a converse of evils!

Brown 'butterflies'

Out and about they abound,

Flashing their bold selves

In the glimmer of streetlights,

Mightier is the chagrin of earthlings

At their clandestine bearings—

Of all the plagues,

Pharaoh could stand any but ‘them’

Hail thee, the evilest plague

The scourge to our menfolk