From abroad where a green taleof leprechauns and a pot of gold,a letter was written in neat scribbleconveying homesick and longing forthe sun, mangoes, and bustling chaos. Sent to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. The envelope pitied her and deviated:bring back rays of sun from Tasmania,stop for mangoes in Brunei Darussalam,and give her the chaos…
Poem 1: Patience In the fall awaits naked ladyteaching patience in lavenderafter disappointment in spring. Inspired by the autumn crocus also known as naked lady or meadow saffron. I read that in the spring the foliage is plenty without blossoms. This disappointment is rectified in the fall through winter with a floral show. Poem 2:…
Beloved residents of planet Earth,from the moment of your creation you criedand from the moment of suffering, you cried too. So, let me be.I am the year two thousand and twenty. I am here to teach you of grief because without it, you are not healed.Whatever you took for granted and killed needed grieving.Instead, you…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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,…
Made to shine on earthbrightening like the spring moondespite ill torments First published by ILLUMINATION Author’s note: This poem is a dedication to people with albinism. On this International Albinism Day, we celebrate persons with albinism worldwide under the theme “Made to Shine”. Recently, in some countries, they have been branded “Corona” or “COVID-19” in…
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 citizens,…