A Hunter
in the forest of life
a hunter kept searching
for a prey to stalk
and salt for a meal or two.
stealthily he moved
afraid of dry leaves underfoot
eyes fixed on a prey.
lo! without warning
the prey's image got blurred.
disappointed he trudged
only to meet a similar fate
home bound he trekked
a man bitter at fate
yet no one promised anything.
poem by Kelvin Karani
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Mother Died
today my mother died
unapreciated by those she bore
at her departure they cried
for they never saw there mother before,
smiling but immobile.
today my mother died
after years of taking care of us
in retrospect we were stupid
for her love we dint reciprocate
alone we are
without a mother anymore
there never will be another like her
like my mother.
a lavish funeral
an expensive casket
an expensive proceeding
and what not
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poem by Kelvin Karani
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Africa, Dont Fail Somalia
When a man fights his wife
She either retaliates or perseveres
But that solves not the strife.
Hearing the chaotic cries
Neighbors either intervene
Or are lulled to sleep by the lullaby.
Will Africa rise up to the occasion
To solve the Somali crisis?
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poem by Kelvin Karani
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Where Is The Fire?
Where is the fire
That burnt in freedom fighters
Making them selfless
Dying for our independence
Where is the fire
That burnt in J.M and Ouko
And others who were felled
Making them love truth
For it, paying the ultimate price
Where is the fire
That burnt in the then leaders
Making them fearless
Suffering for multiparty politics
Where is the fire
That burnt in civil rights activists
The poor peoples defenders
And others who attended kamukunjis
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poem by Kelvin Karani
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The Problems Of Africa
Poverty
The absence of all
Ignorance
The knowledge of nothing
Disease
These are our problems
Or so we are told
But hail Kwasi Miredu
Great Ghanaian cum African Philosopher
For thinking about us; for us
And identifying our real problems
Authoritarianism
The obsession with power
Supernaturalism
Notoriously religious people
Anachronism
Seeing as good that which is not
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poem by Kelvin Karani
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If There Was Forever
What would life be like
If the promises of forever
Like time or existence
Outlived our spoken words.
With the parrots we marry
We will live for eternity
The quarrels and arguments
Which are often silly
Will become part of us.
Those married to hyenas
Must get used to their appetites
Or take that to be the norm.
Food will always be ready
It’s good if she’s greedy!
Those tied to cats
Will have to pamper them
They’ll be shopping daily
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poem by Kelvin Karani
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Our Africa
OUR AFRICA *for David Diop, ‘Africa’
This is Africa,
your Africa
With an arc of a back
Tilling with thick fingers
For new masters
The white flower died
to live differently
It always blossomed
amid pale and sickly
Black, Black flowers
The blood in your veins
once aroused you
to die for posterity
So with a love true
you died for our prosperity
But amongst us
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poem by Kelvin Karani
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Hail Media Freedom
Say what you want to
Write whatever you will
For what the August House is about to do
Will entrench media freedom
Deep into the abyss of our constitution
Down there in beautiful darkness
The freedom of expression forever will be
With it will go the freedom of assembly?
And many other freedoms which
Require the protection of the armed forces
To be guarded protected from mercenaries
Both from within and without
So Kenya will jump joyously
For the magnanimity of the god send
Leaders and politicians
For their good work in parliament
For the many bills that they’ve passed
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poem by Kelvin Karani
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Where Is My Fire Extinguisher?
My house is ablaze
Set on fire by my own kids
Who are fire playing with fire
But are arrogantly so
Burning their own mother inside
From corner to corner and rummage
Looking for my fire extinguisher
Under the bed; behind the charcoal
I search everywhere but find it not
And then I opened the flour drum
There lay mixed in the maize flour
The extinguisher while I
All the while, burning in the fire
Choke in the smoke.
Through the kitchen window I escape
Breaking my limbs after the great fall
Leaving in hell my other children
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poem by Kelvin Karani
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Stereotypical Man
STEREOTYPICAL MAN
Man says,
That just because I'm from the ridges
I'm a thief
And my sister?
Materialistic henpecker
Loving what they have, not they.
Man says,
That just because I'm from the lakeside
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poem by Kelvin Karani
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