The end of 2018 felt like a dream,
I heard that you had a stroke and were admitted to UTH,
I didn't know how to feel because it was at a time when so much was falling apart,
I hoped and prayed that you would be alright.

When I came to see you,
despite your frail appearance,
you still had the gentle and warm
voice that I've always known,
despite losing some of your memory,
You never lost your kind character.

Finally you returned home and you continued to get stronger,
you were still the same warm man,
a father, brother and friend to all people you came across.

My fondest memories with you are birthday parties and braiis in Avondale,
you and bambuya were the best hosts,
sitting on your lap and crying for no reason,
also when you'd take me outside to get fruits from the tree,
even those short drives to the local bars to get some drinks for an event,
or exploiting your kindness by asking you for money for some snacks.

You have always been so understanding,
providing a listening ear and sharing lessons you've learned in life,
even though you're shy to pray,
I know God hears you because you have so much love in your heart.

I'm proud to be your namesake,
I celebrate your life,
I love you bashikulu,
We love you Bashikulu,
Happy birthday.

Kanyanta

From the day you flushed my clothes down the toilet because I took your spotlight as the only child,
to when you, "had the cali girl swag" and you "bragged about it" to your polés in B language,
to the day when you were at a high school event acting wild,
the days in between when I punched you in the spleen and received a recompense from dad.

When I'd watch 'As told by Ginger' and 'Hey Arnold' only because you liked them,
your resistance to let go of childhood soaps and all the shows we grew up with,
when we'd play waida, hands up america, the country game and all the trivialities to pass the time,
when you'd console me after an umpteenth unrequited romantic endeavour,
and all the things that my memory has failed to keep.
Oh my dear,
you've come a long way.

Now you're a lawyer but you're still my big sister,
behind your well written and thought out comments and critiques,
is a passionate, fiery lady with a desire for change,
a confident yet insecure woman who's fed up with acne, backne and banana knees.
Like many people there's more to you than meets the eye,
the grief and pain you hide,
the places you keep at the corner of your mind,
loved ones lost, breaches made, and dreadful doubts.

Before I bore you,
I just wanted to write this to say how much I adore you,
I've written poems for people I've known for a day,
but I've let my own blood slip away.

My life has felt worth the trip because of people like you,
you're such a special person even though you don't think it's true.

Cheers my friend,
you just hit a quarter century,
here's to at least two more,
even though there's tough times to come,
I'm excited to see what the future has in store,
as you put your trust in the Son,
may you fly with the wings of eagles and soar.

I love you fam.

Nyantie

Sometimes I put pen to paper,
or thumbs to keypad,
that my cares may rise like vapour to one that's greater.

These times have left me aloof,
often blind to the truth,
waking up everyday with a sense of renewed hope,
simultaneously with dense legs that don't want to get out of bed cause I won't cope.

Walking this fine line where I'm subject to a steep positive ***** with my head in the clouds or a negative drop with my face in these psalms.
Selah.
A carrier of this deceased old me hanging and weighing down on the free man.

Coming to realise how hard it is to optimize in this life,
much easier to stay paralysed and pessimize all the strife.

I got so many lines about these tough times but only one thing I'm really trying to say.

When we see a monsier or madame on the other side of the lane and they're clearly in pain we shouldn't refrain, to engage in their sorrow; whisper a word or two for them to the one called True. Maybe go a little further and ask them how they do?

Oh how consoling it is to know a faithful friend from the bitter days to the better ends.

Whichever way that the valley bends may we say that we never really walked alone. Plucking from the beak of a famous duck: It's hard to do these things alone,
so just hold on we'll make it home.

They'd be debating over the msg, kjv, niv, etc,
while he drowned in *******,
tormented as he trialed his conversion,
vice city no longer a mere game,
but the vicinity of his brain,
conscious corrupted in chains,
marveled at unfruitful doctrines strange,
left sick on the verge of deranged,
eyes laying sight on the vile,
called out but took the bait of the Nile,
stiff-necked afraid to plough the furrow,
skin-deep till it got to the marrow,
no shield when struck by the arrow,
backslid and strayed from the narrow.

It's said that a stitch in time saves nine,
well pass the wool to the fools,
stress to them that nothing's as it seams,
coil caution tape around what's commonly coveted,
weary of winding up the woeful with warnings they're wound up to be wounded.

It's only a while before wit gives way to grit and the garments don't fit,
leaving behind a bare brother brewing bitterly on cold concrete,
his evidence is shaken,
validity made volatile,
placed on a polluted pile,
slide her a sweater for she shivers,
he should've known better.

Tell the young black stallion,
most times his mare knows best,
there's a stark simplicity to the test,
tell them all to labour to enter in to His rest.

You will be the head and not the tail,
girl,
you will be the head and not the tail,
boy,
are you the head and not the tail,
woman,
are you the head and not the tail,
man,
You will be the greatest and not the least,
you will be at my table when we feast,

Called out but took the bait of the Nile,
stiff-necked afraid to plough the furrow,
skin-deep till it got to the marrow,
no shield when struck by the arrow,
backslid and strayed fro
Voices that I dread,
mockers in my head,
Oh that stubborn old man!
I thought that he was dead.

Tell me a greater pain than playing yourself.
Show me a stronger vain,
than enslaving yourself.

Sent abroad only to learn I'm a fraud.
don't feel like your son,
despise what I've become,
my faith is hazy,
my hands are lazy,
just needed a bit of mustard,
**** I'm such a bustard!
most hero's go unsung;
more is always said than done.

Lust, moths, rust and exodus,
without the spirit I'm just walking dust,
without your spirit I'll keep breaking trust,
take naught, take knot, take not I plea,
cast the tempter into the sea,
don't blame the tempter when you don't flee,
that's how you turn into a pharisee.

oh Lord oh God don't let me sleep,
don't let me fall deeper in iniquity,
restore my joy,
revive my glee,
oh break these chains,
oh set me free,
I should have known it all the while,
I was once in denial but time has proven this true,
I'm in love with the Nile.