For You Are The One

For you I would climb
The highest mountain peak
Swim the deepest ocean
Your love I do seek.

For you I would cross
The rivers most wide
Walk the hottest desert sand
To have you by my side.

For you are the one
Who makes me whole
You've captured my heart
And touched my soul.

For you are the one
That stepped out of my dreams
Gave me new hope
Showed me what love means.

For you alone
Are my reason to live
For the compassion you show
And the care that you give.

You came into my life
And made me complete
Each time I see you
My heart skips a beat.

For you define beauty
In both body and mind
Your gentle face
More beauty I'll ne'er find.

For you are the one
God sent from above
The angel I needed
For whom I do love.

© shebaby 2009

Believe Me

It is not that I want
To feel the way I do.
I know it is a great injustice,
But I cannot help it.
Believe me when I say
That I've tried and tried,
To forget it all;
But it is not that easy.

It is not
That I do not feel for you
What I felt for her.
It is not
That I do not dream of you
As I did of her
Each and every other night -
Hoping that it would last forever.

They say,
That time is a great healer..
Maybe with a little more time,
I will finally forget-
The intimate walks together,
The long nights we spent,
Locked in each others' arms,
Lost in a world of our own.

With a little more time,
The pain of the heartbreak,
The memories of the day,
She went away
Will be forgotten-
And maybe then,
My girl,
Can I fall in love with you.

© Brian Wamathai

Dela

Dela at a concert in The Netherlands


Dela at Blankets & Wine VIII,



Dela is certainly poised to be a leading trend setter and leader in the world of afro-soul. This gifted singer, songwriter and performing artist started performing at 7years of age and continued singing through Primary and High School. Having performed for a while as a backup singer for some of the leading musicians in Kenya, she branched out into her solo career in 2009. Dela's sound is an edgy soulful mix of Afro, Neo-Soul, Reggae and Hiphop. You may have already seen her at various notable concerts this year such the "Sawa Sawa Festival", "WAPI", "Love is" & 'Blankets & Wine VIII' as a solo artiste. Early this year she signed to Penya Africa, where she is currently working on her debut solo album due in October 2009. This gifted musician has an already large and growing fan base. She recently went on tour in Europe with fellow label mates Sautisol & Stan.

Join her group 'Dela' on facebook to know more about her. You can also follow her 'delamuziki' on twitter.

Below is a video of Dela performing at a concert in Amsterdam.

Meet You

Saw your picture in the paper today.
I liked your smile.
Do you think we could meet up some day?

I know it's impossible.
You won't be able.
Maybe I can come and see you.

It's quite a long distance to travel,
Just to meet a stranger whose face I liked.
But I might gain more from it than I could ever lose.

It'll take a while, I'll have to think about it.
But when I make up my mind, my mind will be made up.
I'll come.

Wait, I'm not sure...
I don't know if I can...
No, I'm coming.

I'm coming to meet you.
You, whose face I saw
On the corner of that pretty page:
THE OBITUARIES.

© Amanda Kenya 2009

Poetry Thread - Unedited 2

Gone r the dayz wen we cld not tel our dreams..
wordles we were 2 our joys n fears..
wen love lust n desires sung in our blood....
wt no1 2 listen 2 the music of our fearz!!

Bridget 'kapulunye' Wanyaga

So easy to fall for,like a vice.
Your sweetness beyond honey,sugar or spice.
Your pace,grace,your ability to entice.
Fuck the the pound of flesh am giving the biggest slice.......
of this shredded heart of mine

Kimathi Marshall

Just like in my dreams..
only this time i can feel you..
ur lips in some rythm with mine..
us in our secret heaven..if only.....

Bernis Bonita

mmmmm
One more time
Just one last time
I can't seem to get enough.
I love the appple taste
Makes me want to taste you deep within.
Mmmm
Nice
I love the salty taste
After you make love to me
I love the taste of your salty tears on my lips.....

Thelma Migue.

****Poetry as posted on the facebook group Wamathai

Poetry Thread - Unedited

Your Lips
They appear soft
They look juicy
I fantasize about them
I want to kiss them
I wonder how they taste like

James Wamathai

I shouldn't have kissed those lips
Now it's all i think about
Their chocolaty taste
Their softness
I badly want to kiss them again!

Wangari Munyiri

Pray come again
and put your lips in mine,
And let them tell you
a tale;
And dance to the rhythm
of our beating hearts;
Just when your lips are in mine again.

Brian Kamara

Tales our lips have told, of kisses desired untold,
Of dances only our minds culd hold,
And rythms our heart all so-o yearn 4 unfold.
So now I dream of when ur lips on mine will tell so bold,
Of dreams not cold,
But again ... Of dreams untold.

Lilly Maina

on this spot wea the cool evening breeze neva blows
wea da silent river neva flows
wea the soft grass neva grows
wea my heart no ,longer glows
wea my tears now always flow
my i come for my sorrow dose
on this spot wea my heart love no longer knows.

Mokaya Vicky 'Djaq' Jakaya


****Poetry as posted on the facebook group Wamathai (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=99953858024)

You Know You Are Kenyan

1.If anything pisses you off and you pull out the railway lines.
2.When you use the words "and finally" during a speech and keep going for another 30 minutes
3.If you call any hot beverage tea, be it chocolate or coffee
4.If you stop in the middle of the street to drop or pick up passengers
5.When you don't need Speed Cameras, the Potholes do the job just fine
6.If someone stops in town, points up and you look
7.If you call the watchman soldier.
8.When a dictatorial blood-soaked & out of touch former president is an ICON!
9.If you have ever said 'Me I...' at the beginning of a sentence.
10.If the police chief is suddenly the postmaster general.
11.When guys scram for 14 seater dirty matatus blaring vulgar music while the smart bus is clean and empty.
12.When you butt in on things you know nothing about
13.When multiple languages pop up in your sentences, for example "yawa !si i went to that ka-place kuangalia the kiria ..."
14.When you say "I walked on foot".
15.When you say "I closed my eyes and bought it"
16.When you say "I saw it with my own eyes". Um, who else's might you have seen it with? :)
17.When you call someone and first thing you say is 'sema' or 'uko?'
18.If you go to church to check out chicks
19.When you like YOUR OWN facebook status updates
20.If u grew up calling the beauty salon, Saloon!
21.If you have cell phone lines you've never even used
22.When you see the police and you get scared despite the fact that these guys are supposedly looking out for us...
23.When the car coming at you at full speed driving on the wrong side of the road hoots at you to get out of the way!
24.If you are known by your children's name e.g Mama Kayai, Mama Kamau
25.When rationing for water, electricity and sugar is normal.
26.When an accident occurs and instead the injured being helped they are looted.
27.If u hear a blast and instead of running away, you all run to see where it came from.
28.When you get your change in sweets at a supermarket

***Collected from Twitter (#youknowyouarekenyan)

Her

I deleted her number,
But I know it from memory.

I went out,
But I thought about her the whole time.

I tried to watch a movie,
But it reminded me of us.

I tried to listen to music,
But I gravitated towards what she likes.

I tried to sleep,
But I dreamt of her.

I had sex with someone else,
But I felt like I was cheating on her.

I’m trying to forget her,
But I can’t seem to get her out of my system.


© james wamathai 2009

Focused Confusion

Once, twice, maybe more
friday night, saturday morning
before dinner, before breakfast
does this make sense
Maybe it doesn’t have to
Not to other people anyway
let’s create our own lingo
Be in our world,
Live our own separate life
We’ll still need other people though
But we’ll need each other more

© james wamathai 2009

I forgive You

When l think about my life, you cross my mind because you were apart of it. .
The hurts you caused me. The way you broke my heart so badly taught me lessons. Lessons that made me fit for life, lessons that I will never forget.
All the memories; the laughs, the cries, the jokes (the good and the bad times) I forgive you for the hurts and pain because I’m taking a different turn to a new level. In this level l want to leave the past baggage where it belongs, in the past. On this new level, there is no room for grudges, anger or animosity. There's only room for forgiveness.
I forgive you for being insensitive and blind. For the unbelievable dreadful things you said to me and for all the empty promises. I forgive you for all the lies, for your terrible disguise. For pushing me away and leaving me high and dry. For all the tears l shed, for walking away when l needed you to stay. For taking me for granted and disrespecting me, l forgive you.
I even forgive you for all the hearts that you bled and the fact that you did not care. To you it was just a game, a game of human hearts!
I resented you. Despite the hate being as strong as love to me, l choose to forgive you. I forgive you because by hating you l have nothing to gain.

© winnie salome 2009

Predicament

My friend was in the predicament that am getting to just now, it's rather tricky situation and i would love to hear what you would do if you were in her shoes.

Her current boyfriend has been her friend for quite some time and earlier in their friendship she happened to tell him that she was a virgin which was a lie. He has never forgotten this and that was one of the reasons why he was attracted to her. Now he wants to have sex. She has given him the runaround for quite some time and if she continues to he'll suspect that something is wrong. What should she do? Bearing in mind that this is a serious relationship that is possibly leading to marriage.

Spoken For

I know you'd proclaim my innocence,
Even though you knew I was guilty.

I know you'd fight for me,
Even though it was totally unnecessary.

I know you'd run a thousand miles for me,
Even though it would kill you.

I know you'd surprise me,
Even though you know I hate surprises.

I know you'd spend time with me,
Even though it was a waste of time.

I know you love me,
Even though I don't love myself.

I know I love you.

I know I'm spoken for.

© Amanda Kenya 2009

She Moved On

So you neglected her
Cheated and treated her badly
Thinking that you have a hold on her
And she’ll never leave
Well, leave you she has
And she has found someone
Who loves her and is not afraid to show it
Now that she is gone you realize that you loved her
But it’s too late, there’s nothing you can do

© james wamathai 2009

My Love

Is it too late,
To say how sorry I am
For all the times
I've made you cry;
And each time you've taken me back -
Back to a heart I've hurt.

Is it too late,
To say I love you,
One more time?
To hold your hands in mine
Again; and whisper sweet nothings
Like before?

Is it too late,
To dream of you as before?
Of your touch, your caress,
Your head on my breast,
Reassuring you of my protection....
Now and forever?

Is it too late,
To still believe
That we were meant to be?
That through it all,
We'll walk down life's road -
Together?

- Mi dispiace mi ragazza -

© brian kamara 2008

Move On

You love each other very much,
but he neglects you, cheats on you and makes you cry
you stick around because you believe that he is the one
you pray that he will change
I admire your faith but you are lying to yourself
he will never change
you should leave him and find someone
Who loves you unconditionally
And treats you like his number one.

© james wamathai 2007

Guilty vs Innocent

I'm an uncle but it is bitter sweet for me
don’t get me wrong...I love my brother
but I get the vile taste in my mouth...
...when I see his significant other.
I am 27.

Two years, enough time
To heal a broken Heart and
Repair a damaged ego

But still...

Why did she contest us,
To pick the superior
Younger brother who at 25 years old,
Had no idea i had been left to the embrace... ...of the cold.
Never had a clue that we ever were

Now as i hold my God son...with a smile,
I can't help but feel
Indifferent.

© brian mburu 2009

How I met Him

He had cute brown eyes and a wonderful smile
When he looked at me my heart would melt
I used to see him at the bus stop every morning
he looked like he was interested but never said hello
I tried to passing him subtle messages to show him
That I was also interested but he didn’t seem to get the hint.
One day I saw him at the local hanging out with his friends
and I decided to take matters into my own hands
I had drunk a few and it gave me courage
I walked up to where he was and kissed him
my stunt worked because we are now dating

© james wamathai 2008

All I can't Say

There’s so much I can’t say
When I look into your eyes
I’m worried you’ll reject me
An act of my foolish pride.

Each day this love grows stronger
But I could not let you know
There’s so much behind my smile
That I could never show
I’d hold you for a life time

If you would let me in
I’d love you like no other
But you don’t understand

Every time I see you
Holding onto her
The pain is like a knife
Cutting deep into my soul

So, I’ll dream of us together
Of just how it could be
And all that you are
Will remain a silent part of me.

From the diaries of her making…

© Catherine Nzissi 2009

To My Childhood Sweetheart....

I called you gacungwa,
when in the innocence
of our youth we played.
With this innocence
we held hands
and spoke the language of
our young love.

I called you honey,
when i discovered its sweetness
and yearned for more of it;
and thought of you
and of the richness of life you
brought to me.

I called you darling,
when mother made me
learn western education;
a word for the heart,
so we were taught.
And from there on,
you became my darling:
Oh how I loved you so.

I called you my dear
when the culture inculcated
in me taught me bette;
of a language of two lovers;
the language of you and me,
and of the love that we shared.

I called you my wife,
when in the wilderness
of the fields
you became mine,
and swore to be with me
till the end of time.

I called you my love,
when though advanced in years,
did i realise
that i felt no different
for you now,
than i did then;
my dear gacungwa.

© brian kamara 2009

Just another one of those

I don’t remember how the journey started
But I remember my position in the car
Front passenger seat.

Traffic was light
The company to my right was highly unusual
So I decide to enjoy the cool weather
And the beauty of nature left and right
As I try to take my mind of the unusual speed of the “cruise”

I lay my head back
I try to relax
But I feel dreamy
Most unsettling why can’t I feel the bumps anymore?
Plus this silence is deafening…!

My blurred vision swayed from the road to the speedometer
120, 140, 160…….km/h!
My vision snaps back to clarity
But mind feels like the spinning wheels
Out of control!
We are dangerously approaching a sharp bend
Beyond that cliff, the famous Rift Valley below
I panic and scream at this maniac,
‘You’re going to fast!
You’re going to fast!’
My screams to my ears sound like little squeals.
Great!

Suddenly all the energy is drained from my every anatomy
I realize I’m helpless and wait for the worst
My throat is dry,
My eyes are wide open,
But I don’t see a thing
Can’t feel the taste in my mouth,
Can’t hear the engine roar
I wanna puke!
And suddenly I Have The Urge To Pee!
And the most sensible thing at that point,..
Was to wake up…
Go to the bathroom and pee off course!

© shikosuli 2009

Clash of Emotions

I love you
More than I have loved anyone else before
You are such a kind and caring person
I feel so alive and wanted in your presence
But when you exhibit jealousy, pettiness, deceit & pretense
I regret ever having met you

© james wamathai 2009

Invisible

From across the room,
I notice you watching me.
I have known this
From the moment I met you.
I am afraid to tell you
So I divert my attention.
I like him
I want him
I crave for his attention
He is what I want
You are what he is not.
It is not as simple as A B C
If I gave you what you wanted
You wouldn’t look at me in the same way.

© thelma migue 2009

A reply to james wamathai’s poem ‘I like her but she likes him’

http://cizoepoetry.blogspot.com

Time

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With 60 seconds of distance run,
Yours’ is the world and everything that’s in it
Rudyard Kipling


Sometime back I promised a friend that I’d write them something. A promise I kept, only barely, as I claimed to have experienced a writer’s block. That was true enough at the time. I have since dusted off my writer’s pen and in time penned another attempt. It isn’t on time and I daresay I haven’t been very good at keeping time, but I hope this time they’ll be pleased I got it right. Have you noticed how many times I have used the word time? It’s about time I get one with this time….


It isn’t until sleep abandons us late in the night and blatantly refuses to be coaxed back into bed, that we begin to put how many minutes there are to an hour, or, when trying to beat a deadline, that we realize how few they are and wonder where the time went.

It is probably the phrase ‘Sands of Time’ that first put the idea to my head that time might be a lady. This phrase brings to mind the image of the sand moving effortlessly in the wind as if in exotic dance, the very way a lady garbed in a swirling gown would move in tune to some exotic music. This theory, helped along by the feminine hour glass’ figure and the deduction that; since luck is a lady (lady luck), it stands to reason that time too must be one.

There are times I often wondered what ‘she’ was up to - never stopping, sometimes rushing, often silly (allowing herself to be strapped to a bomb. Really! ) and somehow indifferent to the chaos she creates.

Like everyone else, I have had my moments with her and since she is stuck to a wall in my house, ( or more accurately, is to be found in several places in my house and goes everywhere I go attached to the wrist of my hand ), she is only too familiar with me and my ways.

I often go to bed (not to sleep)at a ‘reasonable’ hour (there’s the matter of coaxing sleep to come to bed with me or more correctly ,trying to get her close enough to grab and hold on to firmly until morning). I sleep through the night to rise again at my other ‘reasonable’ hour and only then, after my clock ( or Lady Time, if you prefer), on finding me still asleep, loudly voices her disapproval by chiming and pointing accusingly at the hour all the while, staring on defiantly as if daring me to deny the time.

To be fair, she hasn’t been all bad. There are times she’s found me at my reading table in the wee hours and even managed a hint of a smile (at my hitherto unknown industrious side) as she discreetly chimed the hour and continued her rounds about the clock.

The other hour, having completed a full circle, she positively beamed and even managed to sneak a little joy in the chime. Was it me or did I just hear a jubilant chime? At this point I decide it’s time for bed. What with my clock in jubilation? I must be tired!

She isn’t without mischief. On the next round on discovering I’m tucked in bed, she enlists the help of ‘several things’ to wake me. I wake up to the loud chiming of the grandfather clock down the hall, a cock crowing, the howling of the neighbours’ dog and the incessant ringing of my bedside clock all at once. My distorted senses can only marvel at how she executed that coup!

I have a report to hand in later that day and it’s a couple of hours to my ‘reasonable hour’. As it happens, I sleep past ‘my hour’ and the lady is only too happy to torment me with endless chimes.

As I prepare for work, the minutes sneak past. Is that the time? Or is she mocking me? She’s up to her games…The computer isn’t saving fast enough, neither is the printer printing fast enough, the coffee machine is taking forever. Another click on the mouse and the machine hangs as if to say, “Let me think about it”. The deadline is inching closer. I am markedly antagonized. A quick glance at the clock gives me a queasy feeling that ‘she’s’ relishing my discomfort. I can imagine her now…all dressed up, daintily lifting her skirts with the tips of her fingers in the merest suggestion of a hurry…

Nothing can seem to go fast enough. I am running out of time. I can see her now….Snatching up her skirts and setting off at a full run. I’m racing against time. However will I beat her? The silly woman! Why can’t she be fair?

I hand in the report, in time-just as the clock on the nearby clock strikes the hour. Breathless, I grin broadly, gloatingly at the clock. Today I win. This leg of the race is mine.

An old song goes…Who can say where the road goes? Where the day flows? ...Only Time…
I cannot help but think…’Time always tells’…it is my fervent hope that one day, hopefully soon…‘Time too will be told’.

….Today well lived makes
Every tomorrow a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope…
You’re writing the story of your life
One day at a time…

© angela ndegi 2009

My Friend

She is my friend
Maybe the best I’ll ever have
Pretty and ever smiling
A smile that confuses many
A persona so complex
Appearing happy despite of what she holds within her
She is a puzzle, that one
They all like her,
All clamouring for her attention
but she already belongs to someone else
Every time I’m with them i wonder if they know
I wonder if they understand what she’s all about...

© G&G 2009

I like her but she likes him

I have to admit it, she’s very pretty
Pretty in a way that people stop and stare
When she is in my company
All I think about is how to make her mine
Unfortunately for me, she only has eyes for him
She is mesmerized by his persona
She is another person entirely when he is nearby
Unfortunately for her, he doesn’t notice her
He is oblivious of the attention that she gives him
He is unaware of the feelings that she has for him
Sometime I wish that she would just give up on him
And maybe then I can finally make my move
Sometimes I wish that he would notice her
And maybe then I finally could move on

© james wamathai 2009

Her & I

She is with her boyfriend
He is neglecting her
Talking to his boys instead

I am with my girlfriend
She is neglecting me
Chatting away on the phone

I feel her staring at me
I turn and look
She smiles, I smile back

She gestures with her eyes
Then stands and heads to
the washroom. I follow

It is quick but enjoyable
We are smiling as we get back
They didn't even notice our absence

© james wamathai 2009

Lord I Stand

As I stand
At thy behest,
Dear Lord I pray,
You see through my inequities,
Transgressions and sins
That cursed and left me a mottled offspring.

As the time comes
For my judgment pronounce,
Dear Lord I pray
You grant me mercy;
In abundance and forget
The trail which I leave,
On my way home.

As my eyelids close
To the beauty of the setting sun,
Dear Lord I pray
That no more will I be blind
But forever more
See through the haze of eternity.

As I come home,
On the eve of that glorious day,
Dear Lord I pray,
That with open arms I’m received
To once again feel
The precious warmth that is love,
Dear Lord.

© brian kamara 2009

Secret Masks

When her friend told her, “I love your body,
You are so slender and can eat anything!"
She smiled. How was her friend to know
That she used to be fat and decided to go on a special diet,
That now everything she eats she pukes into the toilet.

When the MP told them, "I want to go to parliament
to represent you, to look after your interests."
The people voted. How were they to know that
the politician would organise killings
and work only to safeguard his interests

When he told her, "you are so beautiful
I like your African figure,
Your big hips, your big breasts
Let me take you home tonight!"
How was he to know that she had HIV?

When they told her, “sorry for your loss,
He was such a good man, a gentleman
Always taking care of the family and protecting them!"
How were they to know that she was happy
He was dead as he had beaten and abused her all their married life.

When her friends found out that she was expecting
And asked her who the father was,
Teasing her on whose child it could be,
She ran off in tears. How were they to know that
Her father sexually abused her and made her pregnant.

When i walk past you, and smile, you say hallo and i say hi back.
We laugh and talk about superficial things,
Yet we don’t say what’s really on our minds
I don’t know what you are hiding under your smiling mask
and you also don’t know what I’m hiding under mine.

© rayhab wangari 2009

Karma

When you were cheating on me
I was looking for ways to make our relationship better

When I found out and confronted you
You were unconcerned and unapologetic

When u were leaving me for him
I was still clinging to hope that you would change

When you were starting to have problems
I was meeting someone new

When you discovered that he was cheating
I was already two weeks into my relationship

When you caught him with another woman
I was getting engaged

When he was leaving you
I was getting married

© james wamathai 2009

What I Love About You

I love the way my body reacts to your name
I love the way i get excited when you call
I love the way you make me laugh
I love the way you encourage me to remain strong
I love the way you get concerned when things go wrong
I love the way i sleep like a baby after talking to you
I love the way you make sure that we talk or sms
I love the way you prefer me to them all
I love the way you leave me speechless
But mostly I love the way you confess your love to me....
It leaves a smile on my face.....always.

© gladys wanjiku

***A reply to james wamathai's poem 'What i Hate About You"

What I hate about you

I hate how I can’t get you out of my mind
I hate how I can’t hide how I feel about you
I hate it when you lie
I hate it when you change the subject
I hate the way I feel when I haven’t talked to you
I hate the way my heart beats faster when I see you
But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you
Not even a little bit

***Inspired by the movie '10 Things i Hate About You'


© james wamathai 2008