Emerging Voices - On the Topic of Wings

I WISH I HAD WINGS by Pauline Adhiambo of Kisumu, Kenya

My soul is tightened with sorrows. I want to be safe.
The more I stay in this world the more my life becomes terrible.
I feel like going beyond the sun and staying forever.
But no one could take me there, where I can breathe.
I wish I had wings with me I could have fled away from the Earth.

My dreams had turned negative, all I had done had vanished
I had never thought of living in such situations.
Ooh my friends had gone against me, they never thought of helping me.
My enemies laugh at me, they enjoy life and forget about me
I wish I had wings with me, I could have fled away from the Earth.

People keeps on giving me empty promises, they say I will and never
They force me to do negative things and run away from me
Am always in problems because of my close friends
Peace and love is all I need, But all I get are opposite
I wish I had wings with me, I could have fled away from the Earth.

Day and night I come across temptations, but I had never gave up
Am longing to stay a lone where no one will see me
I had tried to forget my friends, but due to my love for them I can’t
The only thing I can think of, are the good times we had together
The solution is to safe away from this world
I wish I had wings with me, I could have fled away from the Earth.
Up!!Up I go high high, to the sky.

Emerging Voices - On the Topic of Subconscious/Unconscious

More poetry written by a Kenyan artist for inclusion in The Microphone Sessions weekly artists development workshops. This one on the subject of Subconscious/Unconscious.

OH POOR HE AND SHE
by Dancan BAM Ochieng of Kisumu, Kenya

She was still watching them dance
The dancing girls were from France
Their dance vigor and full of romance
And then she stopped to make a glance
She was optimistic he had slept by chance

He had once opened the door at night
His face was bright, his arms were light
He was already playing with his white kite
Without cognition of the danger at night

He headed straight to swing plus his kite
Tonight the wind was not hissing nor teasing
Neither was she n’ her sis thinking of any kissing
He was not sneezing or thought to be wheezing
He was on her mother’s warm hands freezing
Devoid of consciousness he had done this thing

She said that this was inherited from his very dad
He got involved in a crime case that was very bad
How could he have murdered him without a damn
His lawyer proved that he was asleep at that time
Oh my God, unconscious actions are really a damn

Emerging Voices

Voices for umoja is connecting Kenyan artists with artists in the U.S. through participation in The Microphone Sessions weekly artists' development workshops. Each week a topic is chosen for the next week. Participants are instructed to write or prepare a piece on topic for the following workshop. Topics have included TRUST, WIND, CONFESSION, HEALING, and SUBCONSCIOUS. We will be posting some of the Kenyan artists' work here.

On the topic of CONFESSION

CONFESSION!!!
By Oscar Constant of Kisumu, Kenya

Colorful event where we admit our mistakes
Open our heart to atone for our crimes
Noticing the important of confession
Forgetting after asking for forgiveness
Ending weird thoughts that lead to sinning
Sinning no more and being safe
Storage back of my body and heart to sanity
I then become free of huge burden
On what I did to make it all wrong
Now here I am a free man or woman

SO I CONFESS
By Pauline Adhiambo of Kisumu, Kenya

I know am a lost sheep in the wild
For I no longer graze in the compound
Of the church, I miss the congregation of our church
All the gossips of people who are prêt endings
Promiscuous couples and misappropriate church funds
I miss the night meditations where
We use to sneak girls in the dark
It does not feel right anymore
So I confess.

The last time I went to church
Our beloved pastor misappropriated all funds
Use the money to take his children for further studies abroad
He is a man of God so we delved not to speak
Lest we faced the wrath of the most High
Soon after a notice was released to the church
Any money less than one hundred shillings,
It would be no longer accepted as offerings
My conscience would not allow me
So I confess.

I was staunch member of the choir
Singing and rejoicing was my calling from God
Everybody has a partner in the rejoicing team
After practicing session we escorted each other in the dark
And deed everything that darkness could hide from the day
I got sick of it so I left
I know I need Gods forgiveness
So I confess.

I don’t want to be duped by thieves
Who pretend to be religious leaders?
I don’t want to give so much offering
That I cannot feed myself
I don’t want to gossip of the righteous and the unrighteous
And I don’t want to turn your holly
House to a brothel
God I don’t want to come to church
Because it will move me to do all these
And that will be a sin
So I confess.