August 22, 2020

It was evening when the pourthat will grow or kill a liferegarded me like a wise teacher. Tonight some life will pop up here.Tonight some life will rot down there.The rain thundered a question,“When last did you grow another life?” I don’t know when an outlanderfelt deeply loved to root in my soil.What would they…

August 13, 2020

Distinguished hearts of this planet. On behalf of the wealth and the poor, the weak and strong, the arrogant and humble, the influencers and followers, the brave and frightened, the marginalized and prestige, the religious and heathens, the spiritual and worldly, I pass on their greetings to you. From the time of scribes, we have…

July 22, 2020

She was laughing with her head so I could not pull out her teeth. Her laughter infected whoever came near. I saw myself mirrored in her brown interior swarmed with bees spinning to a wind dance. Her costume of yellow flair twirled on air as a goddess towing the sun on the ground. The million…

July 14, 2020

English: When loving is hardgo where fading holds the heartlike a dry flower. Swahili: Kama penzini ni pagumusitiri moyo wako na kumbukumbukama ua lililokaushwa. German: Wenn Liebe schwer fällthalte Dein Herz wieeine getrocknete Blume. * When translating the original poem to Swahili and German, the syllabic rules of traditional haiku were not adhered to.

July 3, 2020

The language I writeis not my mother tongue, yetyou read my heart well. Author’s note: My mother tongue is Swahili. English is my second language and German is my third language; in the order of fluency. Sometimes, I hesitate to share my writing because the language I write most is not my mother tongue. Then,…

June 10, 2020

Our twenty-first century world is overflowing with environmental issues and humanitarian crises. The air is gray with pollution. The oceans and rivers are inundated with garbage. Trees are bending in desperation. Bodies are stained with disasters. Minds are torn between right and wrong. Hearts are weeping from losses. Souls are haunted by injustices. As global…

May 31, 2020

He appeared on my Instagram feed as a snuff film. I watched him call for his momma. I heard him like a mother would hear her child calling for her. I am a coward. Normally, I avoid such news. My justification is that I don’t know the complete history enough to own it. I don’t…

May 31, 2020

You are here in the womb of Earth. Inside the woman’s water felt inadequate for you were crafted with beliefs of men. Whoever carried you for nine months, was a temple you can spurn as you wished. Here you were sent to resurrect. To redeem. Yet, you demanded to be a pretty flower. You! Once…

May 31, 2020

Traveling is one way of collecting ideas for creative writing. Travel destinations are butterflies without wings. A poet can create wings for these places to reach many. Consequently, readers can experience a destination through poetry without having traveled there. Poetry about places can also inspire others to travel to unseen places. The joy of exploration…

May 17, 2020

Our neighbour who is near and afar. Hell is not a place with me in your near. Your cry has come I lend you my hum on this crisis until it’s gone. Let me hear you not dread of kindness chaffed to pass for this is our life set in truss regardless of our heart’s…