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.