Words apart words depart words describe this or that,
Words prescribed thoughts inscribed in my nurture,
Words sublime words of charm giving I alas a start,
A step towards knowledge a leap of faith,
Fulfilling the gap between time and space,
Words destruct words destroy I employ,
Words of mistrust words of ill fate,
Words that have broken my heart of late,
Sounds my heart finds hard to contemplate,
Musical notes that don’t make up a song,
Words swallowed in the midst of a hearing,
Justice without judgment jury without the accused,
Words apart words depart words describe this or that.
© ISSAI

Who are we to question Gods will Job desires to know,
Who are we to question Gods desire I ask,
For he created the heavens and the earth,
What he desires comes to be without effort,
What is his will is done without doubt,
Why then do we bother to ask any questions?
Do we not know how great he is and how mighty,
He is the maker of the clouds and the heavens and beyond,
He is not the one we perceive with our humanly thoughts,
He is beyond what our eyes see beyond what our thoughts can fathom,
He comes and goes as he pleases our pain and suffering he eases,
Filled with a profound love for us is he, who created us,
But who are we to question his will the God of Israel,
For him neither favors nor rebukes anyone but he is just,
He judges us according to our deeds and our hearts,
When we sin from our lives he departs,
That’s when darkness and all sorts of trouble start,
Who are we to question the task before us?
Our place is to do as we are told the truth of his word our guide,
When we suffer our faith in him is restored for we become helpless,
Like a child who looks upon his father for protection,
We call on him and he answers and sometimes he hides his face,
Only to see if we will put our trust in others than in him,
Only to test our hearts and see what we desire most,
Who are we to question Gods will who are we to dare ask,
© ISSAI

I met you the other day I meant for you to stay,
Many words for you I had to say in many words Id pray,
Pray that you would know the way Jesus loved you my friend,
My brother gone in a second lost in a weekend,
Drunk and dazed you came to me,
Friends was a shame that this is the way it had to end,
Was I the one to blame for the loss I suffered?
Forget I could not to speak and mention your name,
Humbled and hustled by the world’s ways you were,
Stories I could hear near and from a far,
That this was the way you were gangster by face,
But looks are deceiving out of the land of the living,
Gone like the swift winds that blow in the evening,
When we last met we spoke so many things,
Living the old way of life the life of sin was amongst the things we spoke,
To bring you unto Gods kingdom was the thing I hoped for,
But before I could do it you went away refused to stay,
What am I to say what am I going to do?
For you I pray your family in dismay and disbelief,
Goodbye you never said goodbye you never stayed,
Betrayed and killed by a friend,
Indeed this world is certainly coming to an end,
© ISSAI

Vanity and chasing the wind Suleiman says/
Indeed it is all a cause of no value to mankind/
Sometimes I say to myself be this or that worth anything?
If I cannot know the outcome of all my toil is it worth it?
Inspired by accomplishments made by the great names/
Dust they were dust they have returned to, a shame/
Meaningless their lives meaningless their fame/
A chasing of the wind indeed just a chasing/
Like dust blown into the skies our souls rise/
Like a stone thrown in Newtonian age our bodies fall/
Tasteless is all that was sweet senseless is all that made sense/
For what is common sense it is a repetition of the ordinary/
Accustomed to repetition and circular movement is our world/
Roundabouts everywhere that lead to the same destination/
New is nothing old is everything that is new/
Those who know now knew then and won’t know again/
A chasing of the wind a curse of mankind/
Hurry for the time doesn’t wait for the faint hearts/
Running before we learn to walk that’s what we wanted/
But we were chased and caught for the sign read WANTED/
Wanted did we to know the unknown hidden with good reason/
It was the time the season for ripening of the fruit/
It was the reason we gave up our God given gift/
Our curiosity and pride overcame our sight/
On the day we lost our divine right/
And the day was bright suddenly lost its light/
A chasing of the wind in darkness blind was the start/
Vanity and chasing the wind Suleiman says/
Vanity it is to this day it stays/
Meaningless indeed meaningless it stays/
© ISSAI

Saturday it was the day he said hot ***/
Though it seemed away and not within reach or thought/
Hot *** was what was brought forth/
Tightened up enough to keep things hot and buzzing/
Saturday it was a day before we got *******/
Before there was no turning back to the old ways/
Looking here and there back in those days/
Time was moving fast at times not moving at all/
Patience wore out fast perseverance would not last/
Saturday it was the day he said hot ***/
Cars trumpets drums and what not/
Ensured that on Sunday he would be prepared/
Ready to face the relation that few choose to dare/
Even when they do they seldom last a year/
Today as the world leaves in fear/
Fear of commitment to the ones we love/
The we would give everything for/
The ones we knew and know now the ones we adore/
The friends we need not call in times of want/
For they know what we are they are engraved in our hearts/
The ones we would say I do in front of a crowd/
Those of whom we are proud of from the start/
Saturday the day when he said hot ***/
It was hot the food was hot she was hot/
Saturday the day when he said hot ***/
© ISSAI

I had to give it all I had to leave it all/
Leave it all before I fall/
The things I loved and cherished were stole/
I had to leave it all as the story unfolds/
Created for a purpose a goal so I thought/
Mistakes mistook it was not my fault/
A lesson in living a lesson was taught/
Leave it all was the message/
Take the straight and narrow path/
For no human can escape the creators wrath/
Witnessed it was so in the days of past/
Witnessed it will be in the days now last/
Leave it all was there anything to gain/
Run to me and I shall ease your pain/
Follow me and I will carry your burden/
Trust me and your night will be daylight in a sudden/
For I have the power to give to the barren/
In the right hour I rose from the abyss of death/
Leave it all come to me and I will give life’s true breath,
For I am the one who created the heavens and earth/
Leave it all and I shall give you rest/
Leave it all for I am here to quench your thirst/
Leave it all was the message leave it all was what I did/
© 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

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

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

Scared of my thoughts scared of my plots,
Out of my mind fear I had been lost,
My consciousness tells me am about to die,
My mind argues telling me it’s a lie,
Suspicious of those who pass by suspicious of those nearby,
Sleep is the cousin of death so I chose insomnia,
Superstitious over every little detail and every little Intel,
My mind was the FBI and my consciousness the navy seals,
To investigate and deliberate it had the greatest skill,
In no other bureau did my trust instill,
Walking past people I could see their inner thoughts,
I could hear their soul’s intrinsic doubts,
It was a gift I had suddenly acquired,
Little did I know I was on the edge of insanity?
What I was seeing was away from reality,
What I was hearing was my thoughts conformity,
Conformity to my apparent reality which is insanity,
I had gone past the land of the insane on to madness,
I was on the brink of madness,
I never knew what was best insanity or madness,
Even now I don’t trust my thoughts because they have once driven me insane,
Not only that but twice driven me mad,
To many it might seem sad to experience all these things,
But to me am thankful because I no longer a stranger to these things,
In these lands I have visited I know my way out,
My salvation and rescuer has and will always be JESUS,
For in him I have found that neither insanity nor madness,
In him I have found sanity and peace of mind………
BY ISSAI

Jesus my savior and my strength,
As I walk through the shadow of the valley of death,
I shall fear no evil for you are with me,
My enemies will come with one intention,
Lord you will separate them and crush them,
Jesus you will turn their laughter into cries,
Jesus you will turn their celebrations into sorrow,
Jesus my savior and my armor,
Jesus you loved me and died for me,
For I will be saved, sanctified, restored, forgiven and above all healed,
I will forever put my trust in you,
My faith is stronger because I know you are with me,
You said in your word that you will always be there for me,
And lord you praise your promises more than your name,
All the world will perish but your word will remain because it is true,
God your omnipotent not limited by time,
God you’re the ALPHA and OMEGA the beginning and the end,
Your ways are beyond our thinking capacity,
Jesus you will go before us so we need not worry,
Jesus I praise your name and declare your Holly,
I thank you for saving me it’s not because I am special but it’s because you chose me,
Thank you for protecting my family and relatives,
Thank you for all that you have given us,
I glorify your name you alone should be exalted,
Jesus cursed are those who oppress orphans and widows,
Jesus you’re the father of orphans and husband to widows,
I lift your name high because it is a name above all other names,
Your holly Jesus and there is none like you,
I thank you Jesus for everything,
Jesus you will put my enemies to shame,
Jesus you will expose their wickedness for all to see,
Jesus my refuge in time of trouble,
Jesus I will kip you in my heart for eternity,
Sanctify my mind body spirit soul eyes ears and mouth,
So that I may testify that you are alone are to be worshiped,
No man or woman on earth can dare stand in your presence,
Jesus you’re the fire that consumes Jesus consume my enemies,
Consume them till there are no ashes left make them disappear,
If they come with fear Jesus strike back at them with your wrath,
All that fills this world will pass but your word will last,
Your holly Jesus thank you for loving me,
I glorify your name Messiah.
BY ISSAI

NAKUSHUKURU
Baba nakushukuru kwa kunipa uhai hata sasa,
Nashukuru kwa kunisamehe na kunitakasa,
Nashukuru kwa kuwa ulikufa kwa ajili yangu,
Nashukuru kwani ulinibariki toka tumboni mwa mama yangu,
Nashukuru unanipenda hata na mapungufu yangu,
Nashukuru kwa kuwa unanilinda kutoka na kuingia kwangu,
Lihimidiwe jina lako YEHOVA hakuna kama wewe,
Mungu kwa kuwa hakuna kinachoweza kulinganishwa na upendo wako,
Hakuna kinachoweza kulinganishwa na wema wako,
Je ni mwanadamu gani awezaye kufa kwa ajili ya asimjua?
Ni nani awezaye kukubali kuteseka kwa niaba ya yule amchukiaye?
Ni nani awezaye kuuweka chini uhai wake kwa ajili ya adui yake?

Taifa haliwezi kuwa na maendeleo ikosekanapo hekima,
Nchi haiwezi kuwa na chakula pasipo wakulima,
Jamii haiwezi pata maendeleo pasipo kujituma,
Siasa yetu leo ni ya kuwasha na kuzima,
Maneno yasemwayo hayaingii akilini mwa mtu mzima,
Madaraka wanajipatia na vyeo kwa lazima,
Hawajali ya jana wala leo wanajali shibe yao,
Wanalimbikiza mali kwa miradi ya wanao,
Wanaikandamiza haki kwa kutumia elimu yao,
Demokrasia imekuwa kinga yao dhidi ya ufisadi wao,
Siasa imekuwa nyimbo tena zile za mwambao,
Wakisemana kwa mafumbo wanajuana wao,
Wanakaa majukwaani na makubwa yao matumbo,
Mzee alisema fumbo mfumbie mjinga,
Busara na hekima ni kumsikiliza anaye kupinga,
Maana hoja zake zawezekana zikawa za kujenga,
Utajuaje siri ya adui yako bila kumpenda,
Kamwe huwezi kushinda mechi kwa kujua kupiga chenga,
Kamwe huwezi kuwa na nguvu kwa kujitenga,
Naomba tukazane nchi yetu kuijenga,
Tukipamba na maadui maradhi umasikini na ujinga,
Sio kuyasifia mema ili madhaifu kuyapamba,
Ila ukweli kuusema bali tukitumia hekima,
Ikosekanapo kamba huwezi teka maji yakisima,
Ikosekanapo nanga huzamisha meli nzima,
Kuwa na vingi si kuishi kwa kujinyima,
Unapojenga msingi katu huwezi kurudi nyuma,
Mkulima mzuri hutegemea mbivu kuzichuma,
Yule aliye mvivu kamwe hawezi kujituma,
Daima yeye aliye msikivu hujifunza na kuelewa,
Ila Yule aliye mvivu hutegemea ngekewa,
Wanasiasa hulalamika kana kwaamba wanaonewa,
Ukweli ni kwamba wanatumia vibaya uhuru waliopewa,
Daima taifa haliwezi endelea ikosekanapo hekima.
© issai

It is a state of uncertainty about life,
It is a natural feeling that we sometimes have,
Questions frequently asked before falling in love,
Thoughts one has before they are ready to give,
It is not a cause one can use to forgive,
It is a snare that an enemy may weave,
It is that longing for a super relief,
Should we take a stand for what we believe?
Would we get the sand out of our shoes?
Are we full of questions or just misunderstood,
Are we too impatient and often doomed?
Should we stop or go things never done before,
Must we cop with the society or must we accept the variety,
The variety of faces races and embraces,
Dilemma is what the world faces today,
Fame is what’s expected and respected anyway,
Known to many loved by few I wish I only knew,
Dilemma is what’s new dilemma is not a life for me and you
By ISSAI

The phone rang and no one dared to pick it up,
All they said, they had heard and seen enough,
Was it a call meant for them or for us?
A nation out of peace, liberty and unity,
A nation formed from the dreams of our fathers,
A dream manifested by the unification of tribes and ethnicity,
Breaking down segregation and discrimination,
Black, white, yellow, red and plain,
Embraced and unified as one for the greater good,
But our father said do not be fooled,
For it is not always as it appears to be,
Unity could be pleasing to you and me,
Alas!! tyranny is just lurking around waiting for an opportunity,
Our father called to warn us but no one picks up,
Perhaps tyranny is sitting silent by the phone,
Perhaps it’s our greed and pride that’s our enemy,
Could it be that we answered a call and it was a wrong number,
Asleep or awake from our slumber,
In darkness and poverty slums, crossroads,
Need us not to say but our suffering is for all to see,
A cry from the gutter heard but ignored,
A house will be strong if it survives an earthquake,
A nation will be torn if it embraces my faults,
Leaders will fall if they embezzle my thoughts,
But this is my phone call to my nation,
One last time before I run out of airtime,
One last call to my people,
By ISSAI

Taken for granted used not when intended am sorry,
Superficial relationships artificial intermingling,
Your super-ego tells you you’re guilty,
My ego tells am all that and pretty,
Sorry but it will take time to defeat me,
Need you will the whole nation to beat me?
Yes with all your might come to me,
With all your weapons conquer me,
Will you be my king and I your servant?
Would you be in my dreams?
Would you take me away in middle of the night?
So we’d disappear into the darkness,
Will you be my comfort in my despair?
Will you hold me and tell me you cared?
To love you would I be the one who dared,
Superficial relationships artificial intermingling,
BY ISSAI

Breath was what I heard the people say,
It was strange coz all the days of my life I was under,
Breath was all I heard am say,
Little did I know little did I comprehend?
Nine months of darkness and recklessness,
Hopeful and hopeless gasps for air,
Kept me alive and kicking to get out,
Curious of all that’s out there curiosity,
Said it killed the cat and this time caught the rat,
Was it a snare I was blind to see?
It was a snare I saw but couldn’t avoid,
All my void attempts to get me out of the situation,
Got me right in the middle of it all,
Breath was what I heard from a far,
Celebratory noises was what I heard when I got out,
What are they celebrating I wondered,
Coz all I could do is cry because my senses told me so,
I sensed that it was the beginning of trouble for me,
An introduction to the hostile world,
Innocence, gone survival will get you home,
So take a deep breath and dive right into it,
My breath was running short I heard them say breath,
Breath please we need you to do so sir,
Breath was the only thing I cud not do,
Then and there I knew it was the outro- duction,
Out of this complicated and hostile world,
Breath was what I heard the people say.
BY ISSAI

I remember the rains that day,
A shower of hate that won’t go away,
The day seven of the year ninety four,
When pain suddenly opened the door,
And nothing was ever going to be the same anymore,
With machetes and guns they marched,
Aiming for our limbs to detach,
Sworn they did that no INYENZI would escape their grasp,
They swore that all would experience their wrath,
Genocide it was called but the truth not told,
The rains struck hard smell of rotting flesh,
Cries from a distance heard but ignored,
No one would even dare talk or whisper,
**** the cockroaches was the message from the speaker,
It was the rainy season the beginning of a massacre,
Women and children are alienated from their land,
Refugees in camps away from their land,
The African holocaust had began in Rwanda,
It took a while for the world to ponder,
The ones who had the power to stop it kept quiet,
They gave neither reason nor excuse for their silence,
They waited until we all lost our patience,
It was the rains in Rwanda the day of mourning,
It was the season to prepare for farming,
But I can bet the world saw it coming,
But none gave a **** from the beginning,
And so began the killing,
Brothers and sisters turned enemy,
Neighbors turned into strangers,
**** ****** mutilation humiliation torture,
Tribal hatred fueled by the west,
When will Africa come to rest?
And understand that we are one race,
One love one place one earth,
Let’s have love and peace,
BY ISSAI

I thought you loved everything about it,
Destined to be together in body and thought,
Thought never did I that u would get lost?
Thoughts told me I would find you eventually,
My thoughts deceived me practically,
I thought I would meet you at the destination,
The place we agreed upon I forgot to mention,
Though in my thoughts I had met you already,
In my thoughts you were besides me in my bed,
My mind made me see you and feel you,
In my thoughts your really there,
Though to touch you I wouldn’t dare,
In my thoughts you seemed to be near,
In my thoughts forever I would hold you dear,
Comfort you and give you your hearts desires,
In my thoughts you made me feel like am on fire,
It was all in my thoughts was it?

BY ISSAI

Elephant they have a bounty for your tusks,
Elephant you better run and hide fast,
Coz they won’t stop the attacks,
Until they find you and quench their thirst,
So its better you run and run fast,
Run from the hands of your captors,
Before they bring you down and tear you up,
We may be here but offer no help,
When you yelp or when you cry,
They are here to make sure you die,
To erase you from the history of this world,
Only for your stories to be told,
How you used to walk majestically and bold,
An attraction to the young and old,
Through the savannah and the wild land,
With your beauty you graced the land,
A symbol of the mother land,
Africa’s proud big five,
Hunted and wanted dead or alive,
Time has come for us to wake up,
See things for what they really are,
Are we going to stand and watch?
Are we going to save an elephant with every march?
A march towards conservation of our heritage,
For our future and the coming ages of time…………!!!!!!!
WRITTEN BY ISSAI

For its not we that seek to be free,
But our souls that seek enlightenment,
Foolish is thy who boasts about tomorrow,
For we know not what we may find comes tomorrow,
It is not our freedom that we find,
But a continuation of that which hurts most,
A burial for the ones dear to us the ones we lost,
Freedom is just a word hard to attain in a rush,
But it’s more painful when you don’t get it at last,
It’s more than just  having a human right,
It is the enlightenment of one’s soul,
The ability to have self control and composure,
Vanity is what we exhibit,
But it’s through vanity we are vanquished,
From a concealed vantage point we stand,
Minds that are freed take heed in what is said,
Things only the enlighten may understand,
It is not we that seek to be free,
But our souls that seek enlightenment,