We've lost it!

I thought you lost it

When you said it was over

Because I never saw it coming

I thought you lost it with the same breadth that

Said it never really meant anything

But I have a feeling that when one loves too much

And doesn’t get as much as they give then

It’s not a healthy kind of love

Life is about give and take, not about

Give and get less.

I thought you lost it when you asked me not to see you again

Not to come and visit you anymore

Not to be there for you

And just not care about you

This is a lot to ask for

With a hurt heart….I can only give you what you

Rightfully asked for

However painful that may be……

I thought you lost it

When you stopped communicating with me suddenly

Stopped updating me on the latest in your world

 while I constantly reminded you of what was going on in mine

It meant in a quiet but kind way that you were moving on

I am happy for you

But was this planned in advance? Let me know

I thought you lost it

Because you began pushing me away

Slowly, surely….until you had me eating from my own bowels

Crying my world to sleep on me

Tossing and turning in bed

Dreaming that we were trying to make up for the lost moments

But I wake up and

Alas! Am all alone…dreams, dreams, dreams..

I thought you lost it

When you never wanted us to sit and sort our problems as they came up

When I got blue for want of ‘touch’

When I sacrificed a lot for us

When we became lovers turned room mates

When I tried spices on our food and put too much

I think I lost it too!

That makes ‘we’

But am only patient

Strolling as I think of how to go about things

Now that you are nowhere in sight

Trying to do things my way

Without consulting you

Avoiding ‘I love you’s’ coz they don’t matter anymore

Avoiding any attractions that may land me in a dilemma that am in now

We both lost it

And it makes me very sad

That I will not see you again

Not hear from you again

Not get that touch again

Not whisper in your ears again

Not smile at you again

We lost it

Is that the price one pays for loving too much?

Let me know…

April 20^th, 2010

I write...

I write this for you

I write for Love

I write for the passion in Art

I write for the many times I have slipped and fallen

I write for the courage to be ‘myself’ through it all

I write for knowing that I like someone out there…while they may not like me as much…at all

I write for despair when tasks get too difficult for me to accomplish

I write for my frail little weak me at this time

I write for the strong woman that dwells in my soul

I write for my short stubby feet… that carry a stubborn me to wherever I want to even when it’s not safe!

I write for gossips…they’ve work to do

I write for you

I write for your hate and rage over the fact that am not like you in many ways

I write for health

I write for life

I write for death

I write for fate

I write for gay, queer, dyke, the trans personas

I write for all not ‘some’

I write for thematic ideas that make me unique in my own special way

I write for diversity

I write for non-discrimination,

I write for the protection of your basic but fundamental rights

I write for religious fanatics…who think they have the right to condemn and preach hatred among an innocent people

I write for the minority, the widowed, the orphans, the less fortunate, the displaced ,them all…

I write for your eyes,  that twinkle with excitement and sadness and remorse at the sight of this poem

I write for the immigrants

I write for rapists…who destroy but continue to walk free

I write for the murderers…whose end is always traumatic.

I write for the dictators…who’ll never give a voice to the oppressed

I write for the activists of the world…who go through hell to achieve justice and fairness for all

I write for those that have departed from the world while on official duty

I write for the drug addicts…they need our understanding and love

I write for the commercial sex workers, whose plight no one cares to find out

I write for the careless driver, who’s hurrying up to kill his passengers without mercy

I write for the lawyer, the police officer, who takes bribes to protect criminals

I write for the prisoner…whose world only rotates around their dim lit caged little rooms

I write for single mothers especially my mother, who though gone forever lives inside of me

I write for the immigrants

I write for the hasslers, who have to make a living despite the challenges of this life

I write for those that have lost hope in everything…those that are trying to kill their beautiful selves

I write for the politicians, who put their greed before their navels and care less about improving their regions

I write for us, the human race, the best of the world!

 K8's

Rest in peace Georges Kanuma...

I am sad

Sad at life…sad at fate

Sad at anything and everything

Sad that a flower that shone high up the sky

Withered and dried

Left the clouds starved and thirsty

I am thinking….Georges Kanuma

One word rings in ‘ME’ head: SIMPLICITY at its best

Yet another one flashes tumultuously: SELFLESS!

Georges the activist, the voice that penetrated through the dark

Georges the kind hearted and sober individual

Who gave his time and all to make another soul brighter!

Georges the special person that was so passionate about human rights

Passionate about the very cause he advocated for

Georges, the one who did his work well, Georges, the smart one

Georges, the one that was keen to detail…the one that thought carefully before acting.

It’s still the same Georges whose spirit touched lives….including mine!

I am sad

Sad….life ain’t fair? Is it supposed to be so?

Oh! How the hell am I supposed to know and answer that?

I am sad

Sad that he had to leave us in that manner

Sad that his good work had suddenly full stopped

Sad Georges, because I hate goodbyes, and you had no time to bid us kwaheri

Georges Kanuma……..

Your  legacy in human rights will carry on

But there will never be another you

Georges….Kanuma…

Your love for everything around you will suffice

But never compare to yours in any way

Georges Kanuma…

You’re gone

But in our hearts, you will be greatly missed

Georges Kanuma…

Who will replace your energy and drive?

I haven’t met anyone yet

We miss you already

You responded fast to emails and phone calls fast….you were always there

You walked an extra mile for the LGBTI community that you worked with….you put others before yourself

You fought for a cause that will in a lifetime be worthwhile….and your name will not lose mention for your struggle

Your wit and charm are encrypted at the core of our hearts

Your smile will shine on our foreheads whenever we think of you!

We loved you….We still do in your demise…because you loved us too Georges!

The tears we’ve shed over losing you will never go to waste…..because they will have a special meaning….now, always…forever!

Lala salama Georges

Till we meet again

Kisses and Love…

By Kate Kamunde

On behalf of:

Artists For Recognition and Acceptance (AFRA-Kenya).

Bloody cough

Bloody cough

Tough though

Can give it a thought

Oh God! I cant talk

Can’t breath (cough, cough)

Coughs can hold

Coughs can bore

Coughs can haunt

Cough could mean cold

The cough buzzer in me went off (cough, cough)

It’s now part of a coughy me

Coughy Katey

Lovey dovey little chesty coughy Katey!

Cough ain’t my name

Just an enemy that boarded the same bus as I

Who the hell came up with ‘Cough?’

It’s a dingy and clingy little useless word (cough, cough)

For a discomfort none of you would want

A distraction of sanity and serenity

A selfish need to only ‘keep warm’

‘Take warm’ la la la la la (cough, cough)

Hatey cough

Cough spells careless

Cough requires extra care

Cough wants medicine so they can get off me

Cough is gentle enough not to kill but

Cough is rather annoying…especially when am having fun! (cough, cough)

And want to keep singing and talking and loving and humming and…

Cough is irritating, so very much so…my inner skin is bursting in anger!

I want to scream right now! Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhh

Cough…cough

What a thought (cough, cough)

Frankly, I don’t like you one bit

I can no longer stand you being part of me (cough, cough)

But I will give you what you want if it will make you go completely (medicine)

And say my prayers to take you back to where you came from!

Tuesday 20^th April, 2010

The Paradoxical Commandments by Kent Keith.

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered,

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives,

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies,

Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow,

Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable,

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight,

Build anyway.

People really need help But may attack you if you help them,

Help people anyway.

Give the world the Best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth,

Give the world the best you have anyway.

    

Goodbye, Adios

Good byes are the worst to say

They aren’t my butter on bread

But I guess we had to do it this way

Its Adios time

And am going to make it truly worth the while

There were those wonderful times

That brought out the best of our different worlds

I am glad we could share

If not much then that bit

It may have been easy or not

But be sure we gave our best

Regrets will never feature in this very chapter

Of pages we flipped together

Laughter that cackled into the night

Filing the air with autumn freshness

Inhaling each other’s scent

Exhaling new beginnings

But still managing to suffice

Good byes are hard for me to say

But I bet its time to…

Wish you all the love you deserve

The longing that brings home to your eyes

Challenges are full stops in every sentence

All we did was learn to live with it

Was it good enough at that?

I wonder…

I have learnt to view things in blue light

To listen, to see what is not before me

The difference is in the feelings expressed

Action is an accompaniment that spices up words

Still I sing Adios

Am now aware that I may be heading in the dark

Am all alone

But someone is watching over me

Checking up on me lest I fall

Ensuring that this flower is properly watered lest it withers

Thank you for being you

Thank you for the lessons I learnt

Thank you for those bad days that made sure we talked over issues

Thank you for your patience and love

For understanding however hard it might have been

Thank you for everything

As you open your eyes wider

Stagger in water and tremors shake your being

Remember that I will offer a prayer for you

From the heart I wish you well

From the mind soar high in your dreams

Good bye dear lover

Good bye friend…

K8, 2010

KARIBU NYUMBANI

Welcome home

To a place that’s far from home

To a place that hearts peace

To a land where ‘secret’s the door

To a heart that eagerly awaited thee

Welcome home

To a simple touch of gold

To a smile that stays put

To a shoulder that leans forth

To embrace yours not at arms length

But where we want them to forever meet

Welcome home

To the warmth inside the clouds

That covers the core of my soul

To the distance closer to the heat unknown

To the illusions of women passionately kissing at the roof top

Their sounds of ecstasy uniting in every dipping

To the joy of love that’s building a nest skin deep

Welcome home

It’s your other home

It’s our loyal delight

It’s the internal memoir’s best!

The chuckle of twin lips into one

The tune to love making melodies

The twinning of chocolate covered olives

Immersed in brine…melting with longing

To have a licking ceremony…

Welcome home to ME!

K8, 2010