He mumbles in his sleep
Nyaaam,
Nyammburaaa,
Nyam buraaaaa
Her name means Rain
and she is real,
and she is slender,
and he needs her.
Rain falls in the slums,
he mumbles in his sleep,
Nyambu raaaa aa,
Nyamburaaa.
Rain falls on the sea,
he sees water,
he touches Hope.
Rain falls drum drum
into the red mud of our slum,
he feels fear;
but fear touches hope and;
for love he gropes!
Raindrops drip through little places,
and on he dreams.
As in the waste material roof,
Hope begs a home.
Dumpsite touches red disease,
hope touches blood.
He dreams in the distance
of senility streams,
His love named after rain
like a river of hope,
Oh, Nyamburaaaaa!
And rain drums on parts
of tin for a roof like a lullaby;
aching feet and soul
can really hope, drip drip.
We share the rhythm,
it fills the air,
we share tiredness,
it brings us sleep.
We share the desire, of love so deep;
beyond slum sleep is beauty too.
Hope Rain; drum on;
Hope drum Rain Hope!,
the rich have nightmares
of a loveless shore,
The poor man’s heart rivulets
of love; rain our soul,
hold our heart!
The soul of a nation,
the thread of humanity,
our much needed stroke!
Kouma holds on to muddled dreams,
trembling on,
asks himself,
Do you know her, Nyamburaa,
have you seen her, Kouma asks?
Have you seen her lovely white teeth,
he mumbles,
Nyamburaa, who brings the rains?
Sun rising imperceptibly,
like a grain of wheat in a sheaf,
and by a ray of sunshine gently
touched and basked.
Like a grain of sand bathing alone,
like a raindrop falling and splashing,
into greater water in the sea.
Water hugging itself in hope,
mumbling gum Nyambura’s
Forehead kissing,
The magic moment
of Hope even here,
he grasps and takes
to the other life!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
The Night is day for those with a vision
The eyes are stars in the night
By Philo Ikonya
They say the eyes are the windows of the soul and we add they are stars in the night, the night that is part of day. And no one can lead the night alone, it takes also the many constellations each one twinkling in its own radius. And when all the rays of light unite, nothing can stop them. No darkness can stop them shining and shining. The night is led by the moon and many other stars.. and they are always there, the moon and the stars even in broad daylight.
Do not ever lose hope my soul. Do not ever forget that humanity has made terrific journeys through difficult nights and lived to tell of victory. Tonight I remember as if they were my own black brothers and sisters the Jews in Auschwitz camp. I read about it all in Viktor Frankyl's ' "Man's Search for Meaning." I remember too the agony of Kimathi Wa Chiuri our own Kenyan's last days and his letters to us. I try, I just try to answer them. I never could.
I remember many young people touched and smiling as we sang to our beloved nation Kenya: songs of liberation. Songs of Justice. Songs of Peace. Songs, always songs that we feel are all part of our national anthem.
Come then with me where the stars and our own eyes and vision are our light. Come with me there and see it is possible. We cannot be fainthearted. It is not enough to believe. Act. Act for change.
G.K. Chesterton
"What art thou man, and why art thou despairing?" wrote the poet. God shall forgive thee all but thy despair. Man also may forgive you for blundering but never forgive you for despairing."
G.K,gender? N.B. Squeezed by pain, women do not know despair- Philo Ikonya
By Philo Ikonya
They say the eyes are the windows of the soul and we add they are stars in the night, the night that is part of day. And no one can lead the night alone, it takes also the many constellations each one twinkling in its own radius. And when all the rays of light unite, nothing can stop them. No darkness can stop them shining and shining. The night is led by the moon and many other stars.. and they are always there, the moon and the stars even in broad daylight.
Do not ever lose hope my soul. Do not ever forget that humanity has made terrific journeys through difficult nights and lived to tell of victory. Tonight I remember as if they were my own black brothers and sisters the Jews in Auschwitz camp. I read about it all in Viktor Frankyl's ' "Man's Search for Meaning." I remember too the agony of Kimathi Wa Chiuri our own Kenyan's last days and his letters to us. I try, I just try to answer them. I never could.
I remember many young people touched and smiling as we sang to our beloved nation Kenya: songs of liberation. Songs of Justice. Songs of Peace. Songs, always songs that we feel are all part of our national anthem.
Come then with me where the stars and our own eyes and vision are our light. Come with me there and see it is possible. We cannot be fainthearted. It is not enough to believe. Act. Act for change.
G.K. Chesterton
"What art thou man, and why art thou despairing?" wrote the poet. God shall forgive thee all but thy despair. Man also may forgive you for blundering but never forgive you for despairing."
G.K,gender? N.B. Squeezed by pain, women do not know despair- Philo Ikonya
KENYA VOTERS ALLIANCE: ARREST DRAMA PHILO IKONYA AND FWAMBA NC FWAMBA(IN LAST PICTURE-IN WHITE SHIRT)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
see www.amkakenya.blogspot.com
It was a wonderful time at the Uhuru Park, reading to children and with children in both Kiswahili and in English. It was great to read about Obama too in a book that I wrote about him and that was coming out when i started this blogspot. That was before he was elected. I will be back on this...
Philo
It was a wonderful time at the Uhuru Park, reading to children and with children in both Kiswahili and in English. It was great to read about Obama too in a book that I wrote about him and that was coming out when i started this blogspot. That was before he was elected. I will be back on this...
Philo
Monday, November 3, 2008
if you ask me to lead the night...
For Obama's night, My dawn
Even if you do not ask me to lead the night,
I will.
With the gentle firefly,
the little village one wick lamp
the one in a tin, without a glass cover.
And the one in a bigger frame with a glass cover,
I will put it near the wires that one day will bring power
power to my village for us to see.
I will lead the night.
I will lead the night with the light of the moon,
Other stars twinkling to remind me
of African wisdom divine
I will lead the night with my skirt folded up,
Lead the night walking to hope!
Lead the night with the light of dawn,
Lead the night,
Lead the night.
Lead the night till sunrise.
Asking the sunset still for its blessing,
To lead the night still.
Lead the night of hope.
"The night is darkest before dawn!
Even if you do not ask me to lead the night,
I will.
With the gentle firefly,
the little village one wick lamp
the one in a tin, without a glass cover.
And the one in a bigger frame with a glass cover,
I will put it near the wires that one day will bring power
power to my village for us to see.
I will lead the night.
I will lead the night with the light of the moon,
Other stars twinkling to remind me
of African wisdom divine
I will lead the night with my skirt folded up,
Lead the night walking to hope!
Lead the night with the light of dawn,
Lead the night,
Lead the night.
Lead the night till sunrise.
Asking the sunset still for its blessing,
To lead the night still.
Lead the night of hope.
"The night is darkest before dawn!
Dreaming to the top
Listening to Martin Luther King Jnr's I have a dream in various languages of Kenya, was like listening to a peal of church bells calling us to a unique service. You might prefer a mass. A healing mass. It happened to us; a sweet surprise. The translations were done by girls from the a poor settlement in Nairobi's Eastlands. An area that Barack Obama visited when he was here in Kenya.
The reading in Dholuo, moved writer Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye to tears and all of us. We are just beginning to walk up the hill from the valley of despondence where post-election trauma has left us. Words are medicinal and powerful. That was such an amazing experience. Yes! the peals of bells that touch our humanity making us want to move to some better place. I start my journey with the youth in tow this time. I must fire them with the dreams of our fathers before Obama is declared the 44th President of America, tomorrow.. my longest night waiting for the results, till they come. Not a wink. And if I wink, I will be dreaming Gandhi. He is in the background, ever so silently, swaying the world.
Today my son and his friends will look at the dummy of "The Kenyan Boy who became PRESIDENT of AMERICA and smile. They have been telling me they love it.. .I hope you like it too.
The reading in Dholuo, moved writer Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye to tears and all of us. We are just beginning to walk up the hill from the valley of despondence where post-election trauma has left us. Words are medicinal and powerful. That was such an amazing experience. Yes! the peals of bells that touch our humanity making us want to move to some better place. I start my journey with the youth in tow this time. I must fire them with the dreams of our fathers before Obama is declared the 44th President of America, tomorrow.. my longest night waiting for the results, till they come. Not a wink. And if I wink, I will be dreaming Gandhi. He is in the background, ever so silently, swaying the world.
Today my son and his friends will look at the dummy of "The Kenyan Boy who became PRESIDENT of AMERICA and smile. They have been telling me they love it.. .I hope you like it too.
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