Funeral customs in Tanzania and the kanga Kanga or khanga (pl. kangas/khangas) is a printed cotton fabric worn by women in East Africa, notably Tanzania and Kenya. It has many purposes and uses, as well as meaning. Kanga can be used to convey a message subtly. For some, it is a respectful cloth. Historically, when…
Poetry is one of the most beautiful and prolific ways in which one can express themselves in any dialect. Forests are one of the natural places where many poets have gone to seek ideas, silence, and solitude. Today, we’re marking International Day of Forests and World Poetry Day. Whether you’re celebrating or mourning, I hope reading,…
Mishumaa miwili iliwaka kwa mwangaza mkubwa.Nuru yao ilisafiri kila kona ya nchi hadi magharibi.Mwangaza huo haukuruhusu kamwe kivuli cha kuingiliwa.Wenye nafasi na wasio nafasi kila mmoja aling’ara. Safari ya maendeleo ilikuwa kasi kama moshi wa volkano.Lakini jioni moja upepo wa ghafla ulizima mshumaa mmoja.Huzuni, vilio, na simanzi vilitawala ndani na nje ya mipaka.Sasa itakuwaje kwani…
On this International Women’s Day 2021, my younger sisters in poetry and myself have #choosetochallenge confidence gap, labels, biases, and limitations through spoken word poetry. The collaboration with these young women I don’t know in person but through social media is an example of how we can address the gender confidence gap. This poetry idea…
Open the door or windows,and come in, my dear January.I want to hear all about it;your journey to this new year.I have been sitting and waiting;Oh! You have brought snow and knowto cover the sounds of distractions.How you know me well by now. I looked and looked for youin the recordings of past fireworkswhere goals and resolutions…
Every heart pray we the same: I extinguish hurt in flameand bloom love in my namenow and ever a vow in frame. I aim. Note: The illustration and poem are inspired by the tropical flame tree found in my native country Tanzania. December is the month that these trees are in full blossom, giving a…
What happens when soul and spirit face a storm together? They meet pretence, doubt, fear, anger, grief, revulsion, and desperation. After a walk through the commotions, they get a reality of darkness obscuring them from light. In this divine walk, they may be gifted revelations of what truly matters. Sometimes, there are answers. Other times,…
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…