By Wafula p’Khisa
East Africa and Kenya in
particular, boasts of blossoming fresh, witty, and lively talent in literary
circles. This is evidenced in both the established and emerging voices whose
content holds a very promising future for us today, tomorrow and posterity. The
poets show that indeed they can not only fit in the shoes of their predecessors
like Okot p'Bitek, Taban lo Liyong, Henry Barlow, Jared Angira, Jonathan Kariara,
and Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye but can also explore and experiment with varied
forms to develop their unique styles of expression. However, though getting published
remains a haunting nightmare to these poets, the internet has offered a
breakthrough in that their works are accessible to a worldwide audience; they meet
other writers and engage them in profitable literary discussions. Moreover,
their works are anthologized in electronic books. A good example of this is: The President's Eulogy & Other Poems,
the second eBook project by the Kenya's most versatile literary family, Eldoret
Poets Association.
The President's Eulogy & Other Poems was first published (electronically) in April 2015 by the Mantra Inc under the editorship of Michael Ochoki alias Wudz. It is 88 pages long with 36 well-crafted
and thoughtful poems. On the cover page is a coffin onto which is a well-decorated picture of the president. Beside it are his family and bodyguards. Then there is a multitude of mourners around, probably the ordinary citizens with their huts within the vicinity. The book can be downloaded at: http://www.wudzpoetry.wordpress.com.
The poems in the anthology present various themes such as culture, religion, immorality, Africanism, poor governance, insecurity, poverty, underdevelopment, hypocrisy, family responsibility, impunity
and the plight of woman. These themes are interwoven together as each of them contributes to another.
Culture, especially the outdated ones, is presented as the major hindrance to development and freedom of women. This is evident in Antonio Sanchez's poem My Baby where the speaker says:
The President's Eulogy & Other Poems was first published (electronically) in April 2015 by the Mantra Inc under the editorship of Michael Ochoki alias Wudz. It is 88 pages long with 36 well-crafted
and thoughtful poems. On the cover page is a coffin onto which is a well-decorated picture of the president. Beside it are his family and bodyguards. Then there is a multitude of mourners around, probably the ordinary citizens with their huts within the vicinity. The book can be downloaded at: http://www.wudzpoetry.wordpress.com.
The poems in the anthology present various themes such as culture, religion, immorality, Africanism, poor governance, insecurity, poverty, underdevelopment, hypocrisy, family responsibility, impunity
and the plight of woman. These themes are interwoven together as each of them contributes to another.
Culture, especially the outdated ones, is presented as the major hindrance to development and freedom of women. This is evident in Antonio Sanchez's poem My Baby where the speaker says:
My baby is a leader/with
words coined to make.../but amekanyagiliwa/na culture,
mila duni.
mila duni.
In Elenah Kim's Mama
Africa, the speaker champions for the need to learn, embrace and be proud
of the African culture and denounce the Western influences. In stanza 2, the
speaker says:
Teach me your ways/please help this generation
understand/that our forefathers live
of age because they ate of the wild...
of age because they ate of the wild...
In stanza 3, she says:
Teach me to embrace me for who I am/ teach me to love my
lovely skin colour...
This calls for Africans to be proud of their skins, food and
ways. In My City Wife by Calton
Ingoi, the speaker laments about his wife who has grown up in the city, thus
urbanized. This has made her forget or rather reject her cultural ways. For
example, in stanza 1, we are told she divorced her ancestral name 'Nafula
Henerica Nafula' and adopted 'Princes Shantel Angel'-- a western name which
appeal to her most when pronouncing it-- '...chokes less her throat'. In stanza
2, the speaker
says:
says:
She dances not to
village balls.../they are barbaric she
says/she now bends over and wriggles/to music so vulgar to awaken my
forefathers... This is Western culture in music.
says/she now bends over and wriggles/to music so vulgar to awaken my
forefathers... This is Western culture in music.
Moreover, the wife has
bleached her skin (stanza 3) and rationed her diet to be slim, to look thin
like most Western women (stanza 5). This reminds us of Okot p'Bitek's
Clementine that Lawino complains about in Song
of Lawino. In the poem, Ingoi says:
She can't voice the
language of my people/she
says it makes her retch/she speaks with a twang through the 'nose'.
says it makes her retch/she speaks with a twang through the 'nose'.
This indicates loss of the African culture and influx of Western
domination.
Religion, hypocrisy and its contradictions are presented in the poems: For the Gospel of God, Will We Be Judged by Monica Kiptoo and Faith & Irony by Antonio Sanchez. The poem For the Gospel of God
basically emphasizes the presence and existence of God. This is because, the speaker says, He makes the Earth go round and keeps us alive. In this case therefore, he challenges the people's popular opinions and philosophies on the existence of God. Monica Kiptoo's Will We Be Judged? is somehow philosophical in approaching religion. In the poem, the speaker keeps repeating the line 'will we be judged? 'This seeks to establish the availability of punishment for our sins-- like 'stealing glances', 'sex before marriage', 'divorcing battering husbands and wedding second wives'-- on the judgment day as advocated by the scriptures. To the speaker, it is evident that some sins are rationally justified. However, in Faith & Irony, Antonio captures the hypocrisy, ironies and paradoxes of religion in the contemporary society as compared to the Jewish Society of Jesus. More so, Sanchez tries to compare Jesus with the modern pastors who masquerade as His messengers and servants. For example, in stanza 2, he says:
Religion, hypocrisy and its contradictions are presented in the poems: For the Gospel of God, Will We Be Judged by Monica Kiptoo and Faith & Irony by Antonio Sanchez. The poem For the Gospel of God
basically emphasizes the presence and existence of God. This is because, the speaker says, He makes the Earth go round and keeps us alive. In this case therefore, he challenges the people's popular opinions and philosophies on the existence of God. Monica Kiptoo's Will We Be Judged? is somehow philosophical in approaching religion. In the poem, the speaker keeps repeating the line 'will we be judged? 'This seeks to establish the availability of punishment for our sins-- like 'stealing glances', 'sex before marriage', 'divorcing battering husbands and wedding second wives'-- on the judgment day as advocated by the scriptures. To the speaker, it is evident that some sins are rationally justified. However, in Faith & Irony, Antonio captures the hypocrisy, ironies and paradoxes of religion in the contemporary society as compared to the Jewish Society of Jesus. More so, Sanchez tries to compare Jesus with the modern pastors who masquerade as His messengers and servants. For example, in stanza 2, he says:
God's only son lived
as a servant/today's prophets drive Range Rovers/with police escorts.
He further indicates that religion has been turned into a
business venture and an avenue to exploit the poor by asking them to pay for healing.
The speaker says this in stanza 4:
'I need healing/but pastors
went commercial, radio and TVs/religion meets agriculture, kupanda mbegu/kuvuna
ni kwa pastor, kupalilia ndio yetu...
Further, religion is presented as an excuse people use to
commit murder (stanza 5&6). Moreover, religion is misused by men to suit
their interests, like defending an ICC suspect (stanza 7&8).
Politics, poor governance and its evils like corruption are captured in the poems: Elections 2017, Promises of Tomorrow, Rain Drops, The President's Eulogy, Wow, We Turned Fifty. In Elections 2017 by
Calton Ingoi, the speaker mimics a politician who comes asking for votes from his electorate after being away for half a decade. The speaker doesn’t' want to listen to mwananchi's grievances as he has
personal issues to sort out. Through sarcasm, Ingoi dramatizes poor governance, underdevelopment and the hypocrisy of our politicians. Moreover, threats of violence directed at the voters by the politicians are evident. This compels them to continuously retain underperforming leaders in power. For example, in stanza 4, the speaker says:
Politics, poor governance and its evils like corruption are captured in the poems: Elections 2017, Promises of Tomorrow, Rain Drops, The President's Eulogy, Wow, We Turned Fifty. In Elections 2017 by
Calton Ingoi, the speaker mimics a politician who comes asking for votes from his electorate after being away for half a decade. The speaker doesn’t' want to listen to mwananchi's grievances as he has
personal issues to sort out. Through sarcasm, Ingoi dramatizes poor governance, underdevelopment and the hypocrisy of our politicians. Moreover, threats of violence directed at the voters by the politicians are evident. This compels them to continuously retain underperforming leaders in power. For example, in stanza 4, the speaker says:
'...dare not scatter your vote/like grain/ to an alien fowl!
/... It's suidal...'
This denies them democratic
rights to choose good leaders. Moreover, it enhances underdevelopment and
corruption. In Wow, We Turned Fifty by
Elenah Kim; the speaker celebrates the attainment of 50 years of independence
mockingly. This is because there is no worthwhile development to boast of. We are
still crippled by corruption, exploitation, insecurity, inequality and poverty
due to poor governance and politics of greed exercised by our leaders. These are
also echoed in Nyabeta's The President's
Eulogy. In the poem, we learn that the president is corrupt, unjust,
immoral and brutal. These are
some of the reasons why he is killed by his wife. Moreover, Ordinary Mind's poem Rain Drops has a political connotation. The rain drops symbolize the form of leadership that bear maladies such as destroying property, displacement of people and loss of lives through hunger, diseases and insecurity.
Ymah Kemunto's poem Stone her! Stone her! explores the paradox of development in Africa, and particularly in Kenya. In the poem, there are measures, strategies to develop and protect people-- like the constitution. However, the country ails and the people suffer. This is also evident in Elenah Kim's Wow, We Turned Fifty.
There is also immorality and irresponsible sexual behaviour. This is captured in Zibok Washei's poem Dad While You Were Away. In the poem, the speaker speaks of his step mother who prostitutes with many men after his father's death. He also ends up having an affair with her and contracting Hiv/aids. This makes him to commit suicide.
Family responsibilities are also captured in the poems: Tears for My Mother by Ordinary Mind. Here, the speaker celebrates his mother who went through hardships to raise and educate her children. This also develops the theme of the plight of women.
Other themes include love and romance, alienation, sex, infidelity and insecurity. Love and romance are captured in the poems like Burning Sage by Wudz, You Are a Smile, I Will Drink by Haron Ogutu and
The Song of a Divorced Poet by Love Poems.
The experiences in the poems of this anthology are effectively captured by various stylistic devices. For example, sarcasm, satire, irony, repetition, rhyme, enjambment, apostrophe, alliteration etc. However, although this is an exciting anthology, the flow of its content is marred by many typing errors, wrong spellings and some missing information. For example, some poems do not have the names of their authors. Moreover, some poems do not appear in the order in which they appear in the table of contents. But despite of these minor shortcomings, the book is informative, edutaining, provocative and
inspiring. It is worth reading and your time.
Grab your copy now now!
Wafula p’Khisa is a poet, writer and teacher
some of the reasons why he is killed by his wife. Moreover, Ordinary Mind's poem Rain Drops has a political connotation. The rain drops symbolize the form of leadership that bear maladies such as destroying property, displacement of people and loss of lives through hunger, diseases and insecurity.
Ymah Kemunto's poem Stone her! Stone her! explores the paradox of development in Africa, and particularly in Kenya. In the poem, there are measures, strategies to develop and protect people-- like the constitution. However, the country ails and the people suffer. This is also evident in Elenah Kim's Wow, We Turned Fifty.
There is also immorality and irresponsible sexual behaviour. This is captured in Zibok Washei's poem Dad While You Were Away. In the poem, the speaker speaks of his step mother who prostitutes with many men after his father's death. He also ends up having an affair with her and contracting Hiv/aids. This makes him to commit suicide.
Family responsibilities are also captured in the poems: Tears for My Mother by Ordinary Mind. Here, the speaker celebrates his mother who went through hardships to raise and educate her children. This also develops the theme of the plight of women.
Other themes include love and romance, alienation, sex, infidelity and insecurity. Love and romance are captured in the poems like Burning Sage by Wudz, You Are a Smile, I Will Drink by Haron Ogutu and
The Song of a Divorced Poet by Love Poems.
The experiences in the poems of this anthology are effectively captured by various stylistic devices. For example, sarcasm, satire, irony, repetition, rhyme, enjambment, apostrophe, alliteration etc. However, although this is an exciting anthology, the flow of its content is marred by many typing errors, wrong spellings and some missing information. For example, some poems do not have the names of their authors. Moreover, some poems do not appear in the order in which they appear in the table of contents. But despite of these minor shortcomings, the book is informative, edutaining, provocative and
inspiring. It is worth reading and your time.
Grab your copy now now!
Wafula p’Khisa is a poet, writer and teacher
Contacts: khisapius@gmail.com
Mobile: +254719658041
http://www.doveypoet.blogspot.com
[Thigh of an Elephant]
[Thigh of an Elephant]
No comments:
Post a Comment