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…
From the land of Emerald Isle, whereleprechauns and pots of gold are legends,a letter was written in neat scribbleconveying homesick and longing forthe sun, mangoes, and bustling chaos. Sent to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. The mailman pitied her and deviated:bring back rays of sun from Tasmania,stop for mangoes in Brunei Darussalam,and give her the…
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:…
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…
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,…