Wait, Where Did We Bury It? (Florette)

I promised that I will be back. Now I am. And what a great way than to try a poetry form known as a florette.

The challenge at the Imaginary Garden with Real Toads  this Sunday was this:

 

Florette:


Rhyme scheme: a, a, b, a
Meter (syllable count): 8, 8, 8, 12
Fourth line requirement of internal (b) rhyme scheme, on syllable 8.
The completed poem should consist of two or more stanzas.


xxxxxxxa
xxxxxxxa
xxxxxxxb
xxxxxxxbxxxa

Here’s my attempt:

Pilgrim, across the cemetery of wasted

words, show me just one most jaded

by the tongue. Ignore the weed of orphaned

idiom, just walk across and tell me the wisdom,

such is my thought vested.

I want you, most fairly, to be judge;

though you be immortal, candour is your badge.

Exhume the words, then, go ahead fellow

Pilgrim, I have the Court Order fellow Pilgrim,

Will you budge?

BIO-LUMINESCENCE

Credit: Google

If I have to stand here and peer into the future

I can see next week resplendent in BIO-LUMINESCENCE

(Oh, Koko, that word, I love it)

I can see the ray that I clasped in my palm

Course through again in my being

For a good cause, fellow pilgrims

For after a long wait looking into the East

The warm beam has settled on me

So much has the skies given

So much has Tororot been favourable!

Here I am, sitting pretty

And now, like never before,

I will consult my Muse—

After all, the echoes only reverberate—

And across the hills and caves again

You will hear the pilgrimage songs

The voice remains distinct, the message is still clear

What will change is the intensity, pilgrim

Did I say  BIO-LUMINESCENCE?

Yes, that’s right, BIO-LUMI(Rumi?)-ESSENCE.

When the Cinema Came to My Village

When the Cinema came to my village

It was the biggest thing ever

My brothers and I

Sat on sand

In front

Was a big white cinema

I remember how Rambo

Killed everyone

The Terminator, Commando,

Bruce Lee, Shaolin Tempo

These people fell from tall buildings

Then stood on both feet

The next day, a 13 year-old

Climbed a tree and jumped

Well, he was no Rambo

So don’t wait to hear what happened next

When the Cinema came to my village

Old men laughed to expose their toothless grins

When people kissed, they covered their faces

Eish, these wazungus love each other!

I remember  a boy asked me,

“These people are bad, how can they burn

Their houses instead of giving us?”

I am still thinking of the answer,

But I know what the audience wants

So, back then,

We shaved clean to be like Shaolin Tempo

We made small plant guns

And became Commando

The problem is that along the way,

Hollywood didn’t scout for talents in this neck of the woods

Poem shared with

Imaginary Garden with Real Toads

As I Travel Here

Photo Credit: flickr

As I travel here,

My feet will grow weary sometimes

As I travel here,

My head will be stuffed sometimes

As I travel here,

The incessant drone will fill my ears

But

I remain a pilgrim.

I have been to this road before,

My ancestors shook this dust before

They looked up to the Sun,

“Kong’asis”, they named the East

Their feet was bruised by rocks,

Yet they climbed treacherous hills and mountains

There is music in my ears,

There is fresh air filling my lungs

As I travel here,

I see distant homesteads beyond the hills

I will set forth

I will tighten my akala shoes

As I travel here,

I know the destination

As I travel here,

My heart is full of joy of this sojourn

Poem shared with Real Toads.

Lenten Journey- Day 12

#1

You who toil everyday

You who fail to observe Sabbath

I ask, when do you worship?

Ewe unayetia bidii

Unayepuuza siku ya Sabato

Nauliza, unaabudu lini?

#2

His words command obedience

They are not like ours

Scattered within a fairy tale

Maneno yake yanafaa utii

Si kama yetu

Zilizotapakaa katika ngano

#3

You heard the Constitution

Like a human being, is a living document

So are God’s words

Ulisikia kwamba Katiba

Sawa na binadamu, inaishi

Hivyo basi ndivyo maneno ya Mungu

Lenten Journey- Day 12

#1

Let us have high priests among us

Though not sinless

To guide our pilgrimage

Na tuwe na Makuhani Wakuu miongoni mwetu

Japo wasiwe watakatifu

Kutuelekeza katika imani yetu

#2

Who hijacked the process

I mean, what went wrong

That those not called masquerade as ones?

Nani aliiteka nyara shughuli

Ni nini kilienda upogo

Hivi kwamba wanafiki wameenea?

 

Lenten Journey – Day 12; March 26th 2012

Biblical Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:4-11

Feel free to explore the Lenten Journey at Cloaked Monk Blog

Lenten Journey- Day 12

#1

Nothing is expensive

To our Lord

For all belongs to him

Hakuna kilicho ghali

Kwake Mungu

Kwani vyote ni vyake

#2

His message will out

Even if ‘elements’

Might be miffed

Ujumbe wake utaenea

Hata ikiwa maadui

Wataghafilika

Lenten Journey – Day 12; March 26th 2012

Biblical Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:4-11

Feel free to explore the Lenten Journey at Cloaked Monk Blog

Lenten Journey- Day 12

Fervent prayer in obedience

Meekness in glory

Was the message Jesus lived

Maombi ya kweli na unyenyekevu

Raufu katika sifa

Ilikuwa ujumbe Yesu aliishi

Lenten Journey – Day 12; March 25th 2012

Biblical Scripture: Hebrews 5:5-10

Feel free to explore the Lenten Journey at Cloaked Monk Blog

Lenten Journey- Day 12

#1

We stand here, not as of right,

But as privileged souls

Made right before the Lord

Twasimama hapa, si kwa haki,

Bali kama waliobahatika

Waliofanywa sawa mbele ya Mungu

#2

What alight feeling

To know

Of the message of restoration?

Ni furaha iliyoje

Kutambua

Kuhusu ujumbe wa Uhuru?

Lenten Journey – Day 12; March 26th 2012

Biblical Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:4-11

Feel free to explore the Lenten Journey at Cloaked Monk Blog

Lenten Journey- Day 12

#1

Pilgrim, may all prophesies come true

That your progeny

Shall be of prophets

Hija, twaomba unabii utimie

Twaomba kizazi chako

Kiwe cha manabii

#2

What sign, what manifestation

Will reveal

The earlier prophesies?

Ni dalili ipi

Itaonyesha

Unabii wa kale?

Lenten Journey – Day 12; March 27th 2012

Biblical Scripture: Acts 2:14-24

Feel free to explore the Lenten Journey at Cloaked Monk Blog

Lenten Journey- Day 12

#1

They questioned his mission—

Like the Scribes—

Unbeknownst to them who he was

Walitathmini lengo lake—

Kama Wanasheria—

Wasijue alikuwa nani

#2

The light of Truth

Will shine for a while

Twould be a pity if it is wasted

Nuru ya Ukweli

Utaangaza kwa muda

Sikitiko litatukia iwapo haya yatapotezwa

Lenten Journey – Day 12; March 28th 2012

Biblical Scripture: John 12:34-50

Feel free to explore the Lenten Journey at Cloaked Monk Blog

Lenten Journey- Day 12

#1

May we pilgrims,

Despite our frailties,

Live by piety

Twaomba sisi Hija,

Kando na udhaifu wetu

Tuishi kikristu

 #2

We are all humble slaves

Shackled in humility to Christ

Joyous in our state

Sisi sote ni watumwa wanyenyekevu

Tumejifunga katika unyenyekevu wa Kristu

Wenye furaha katika kila hali

Lenten Journey – Day 12; March 29th 2012

Biblical Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11

Feel free to explore the Lenten Journey at Cloaked Monk Blog

Lenten Journey- Day 12

#1

This I say to you, Pilgrims,

That you live without blemish

so that my death is not in vain

Hili nakujulisha Hija

Kwamba utaishi bila doa

Ili kifo changu kisiwe cha bure

#2

Do me a favour, pilgrim,

Though I be absent

Let what I lived dwell in you

Hija, naomba unifanyie hili

Japo sitakuwepo

Acha nilichoishi kidumu kwenu

Lenten Journey – Day 12; March 30th 2012

Biblical Scripture: Philippians 2:12-18

Feel free to explore the Lenten Journey at Cloaked Monk Blog

Lenten Journey- Day 12

#1

Kama Bartimayo mwana wa Timayo

Sisi sote ni vipofu

Hata hivyo, kinyume naye tumeridhika!

Like bartimaeus, son of Timaeus

We are all blind

But unlike him, we are content!

#2

Yastaajabisha jinsi Yesu

Alivyozungumza katika Nafsi ya Tatu

Hata katika kifo chake

Amazing how Jesus

Spoke in Third Person

Even at the point of death

Lenten Journey – Day 12; March 31^st 2012

Biblical Scripture: Mark 10:32-34, 46-52

Feel free to explore the Lenten Journey at Cloaked Monk Blog