I want to tell this to you now. But I could never find the words to tell you. I wrote hieroglyphics across your eyelids, stapled memos to your chest, and flew banners in the scenery while you dreamt.

Translations of these words alone will not be sufficient enough to tell you what I want to share.  I... Miss you. I miss you like a front tooth on picture day.

five* for the people who torture with ease
four for the ones who pretend they don't see
three for the ones who believe what they say
two for my 'friends' who just walked away
and then there's the one who will never be free
*one is the number that stands for me

The majority
of my existence
consists of wandering in
the crinkled creases
of my cranium,
waiting for another soul
to pass by this
shattered *******.

Back into my mother’s womb back into the unknown world of the uncreated,
Back into my childhood land back to Eden where I was manifested,
How I wish to be a child again a world where only the innocence dwells,
Back into the times when I be filled with joy and happiness,
A child concerned about playing with my friends,
A child dedicated to hide and seek it was so much fun,
My first spoken words my first step into the world,
A taste of my mother’s milk to touch but I could not reach,
A face that is out of space to distinguish I could not race,
Familiar and weird places funny strange embraces,
How I would love to be a child again,
The land where only innocence dwells,
My first walk out of being incapacitated,
My first wake from the land of the dead,
My first bite of a thing called butter and bread,
My first time I am no longer spoon fed,
A bicycle ride into the land of misery and suffering,
Little did I know chaos was on the horizon waiting?
How I wish to be a child again,
My first encounter with the burning sun and the pouring rain,
My first fight with malaria and the injections that brought me pain,
My first initiation from childhood to manhood,
The hustle and tussle with earning my daily bread,
A sigh of defeat when I lie in my bed,
Ooh how I wish I had never have to say,
A child again to my God I pray to this day,
The land where only innocence dwells,
A land where guilt and regret do not dare stay,
A place where there is neither night nor day,
A home where you only stay and don’t go away,
A child again my Lord that’s all I am saying,
Back into my mother’s womb back into the unknown world,
© ISSAI MASHINGO

Before it’s too late before the world becomes extinct,
Before our elephants lions rhinos and animals are gone,
Before the wild land is left alone,
Are we going to fight on their behalf?
Are we going to stand watch and laugh?
Poachers take all that we have,
In our silence all that we have we give,
Money could be blamed for all these events,
Poverty could be the claim in their defense,
But if we are willing we are able to make a difference,
Before it is too late before the world becomes extinct,
The government of Tanzania has taken a stand,
To protect our heritage our motherland,
It is our time as the loyal citizens to join in and send,
Send a message to the Africa and the worlds ends,
That we should stop to pretend that we don’t see the end,
Before it’s too late before the world becomes extinct,
© ISSAI

When brothers go to war there are no captives/
When brothers go to war we find only casualties/
The in explicable war between Palestine and Israel,/
In this poem i hope that peace would prevail/
Countries at the crossroads of heaven and hell/
Their war has lasted for ages/
Pain and revenge bitterness and hate/
When brothers go to war who dares to mediate/
Who knows of their fate who knows whose right/
Its bee like this for so many years/
Who will be there to wipe their tears/
Who will be there to give hope to those in fear/
Who will dare to go and interfere/
When brothers go to war know that the end is near/
Hold on and sanctify your soul in prayer/
When brothers go to war who is the villain who is the saint/
The war of Israel and Palestine stained in red paint/
A revelation to the faint hearted/
A lesson to the boastful and egocentric/
Innocent lives lost when brothers go to war/
A gentle answer turns away wrath/
But a harsh word stirs up anger/
A hot tempered man stirs up dissension/
But a patient man calms a quarrel/
When brothers go to war who dares mediate
(c) ISSAI