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Raya Wambui

Raya Wambui

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Define And Conquer. Watch and Read.

Posted on October 22, 2013 By rayawambui 4 Comments on Define And Conquer. Watch and Read.
Wow. This was a life changing performance. The audience response was visceral, and after the most engaging performance I had ever had, I actually won. We had only six days, to write rehearse and present these competitive pieces.

Define And Conquer

To be Kenyan, is to smell the scent of the dust that’s jumping up,

to meet the rain, that’s coming.

To be Kenyan, is to celebrate the clouds,

knowing behind them, the sun is rising,

and, with their marriage comes the promise of milk, of honey.

Because, to be Kenyan, is not to survive.

To be Kenyan, is to surprise.

 

I’ll be honest, Art Cafe is not exactly, my cup of tea,

And I could never figure out, how so many cars wore red and white stickers…

Why market for free?

I guess I kind of scoffed at the security checks…

until militants attacked a playground.

 

Yes, we were shot.

Yes. We are wounded.

NO. We are not falling.

We can’t let on radical group, force a xenophobic  dawning.

We built the bullet glass barricades which held their for for several days!

If we start hating all outsiders, then they win, that regressive change.

 

Do not think that blind hate is not blind.

We must seek to define, what they try to divide.

 

To be Kenyan, is to see beauty in curves, which frame the colours around,

msemo za leso.

To be Kenyan, is to mourn out loud, to cry in ululations

as exclamation that the ones we lay to rest, have found the afterlife.

Because, to be Kenyan is not to survive,

To be Kenyan, is not to hide!

To be Kenyan is to be Pride.

 

Time makes its’ changes to faces, through phases, past places

within which all wounds try to be healed.

we used to know death is coming, when an owl is heard.

Now we read abuses in three languages, from Muhamed Kamau’s twitter bird.

 

We scream, hushed insults, at a government, that should have known,

an attack was pending!

But what we’re forgetting, is that it always was.

These cowards’ scare tactic is to keep on threatening.

What we can’t let them threaten, is our Unity,

Our Worth!

 

Trust me, I get it.

It’s difficult to define identity when your mixed

Up.

But that’s just it, our diversity is who We are!

And I know, we’re not quite arm in arm.

Nobody wants to be surprised by harm.

Racial and ethnic profiling is in our blood.

But we can’t let them take our hospitality!

Period!

 

In some places, our people were met with One Book, One God and spices.

In some place, our people were met with One Book, One God and riffles

All with slavery up their sleeves, perceived a human of a different breed,

with currencies of cowers beads, which used to glitter, like litter

Our beaches!

We, are rich, beyond riches!

To be Kenyan is to smile with every part of your being,

Forgetting the fact that your back is aching.

When your Kenyan, every tree has meaning.

Terere, Mchicha, fall like manna dropped by Gods winged messengers.

The coconut, the mango trees model our generosity.

The kasava, the guava, our children’s dreams,

tell tales of plenty, and harmony.

Because to be Kenyan, is not to survive!

To be Kenyan, is not just to live and abide!

To be Kenyan,

is to give something small, not to bribe.

To be Kenyan, is not to swallow lies!

To be Kenyan is to see the honey, through the hive!

To love, and give thanks for life!

To see fish, and DIVE!

 

To be Kenyan, is to Thrive!

 

Related

Kenyan Mind, Poetry, Video Tags:Kenya, Live Performance, Patriotism, RevolutionaryPoetry, Spoken Word, Spoken Word Poetry, terrorism, The Spoken Word Project, tribalism, we are one, WestGate Attack

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Comments (4) on “Define And Conquer. Watch and Read.”

  1. Allan Melchowistz says:
    October 22, 2013 at 5:42 pm

    I’ll be honest, Art Cafe is not exactly, my cup of tea,

    To be Kenyan, is to mourn out loud, to cry in ululations
    To be Kenyan is to see the honey, through the hive!

    To love, and give thanks for life!

    And i give thanks to life for giving me life to read this piece!! so authentic,

    Reply
  2. Rixpoet Mshairi (@Rixpoet) says:
    October 23, 2013 at 7:52 am

    It’s difficult to define identity when you’re mixed
    Up.
    But that’s just it, our diversity is who We are!

    Reply
  3. Michael mwangi macharia says:
    October 23, 2013 at 6:43 pm

    Our diversity is our strength…nice read.You are,you write.

    Reply
  4. Pingback: addisrumble » Best of Young Kenyan Poetry

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