Tag: Creative writing
-
Fireworks and chilly winds
fireworks, chilly windsI lay in bed, lying on my sidefacing the open windowa moonless sky lit with sparkling starsChristmas is a month awaybut I can smell it miles awaythinkingof all the thingsand peoplethat have come and gonethinkingof my life nowand what is to come ………………………………………………….. Email:Benjaminnambu1@gmail.com WhatsApp:+233 541 824 839
-
to the hospital
It’s my birthday. Unfortunately, I will be spending it in the hospital. Following my instincts, I do not leave early. Which is something nobody would do. Because, our hospitals are famous for having too many patients than any number of doctors can handle.Patients tend to rise early to make it to the hospital on time.…
-
songs of a folktale
all eyes on the new moonas we sang, clapped and dancedsongs of a folktale about the moon and the sunmotherswho decided to slaughter their children for a meal during a famineThe sun was the first, sacrificing her children but the wise moon loved her children and wouldn’t when it was her turnThe furious sun now…
-
first TV in my village
The first person to buy a television in my village was the envy of village gossipers for months. Clansmen who lived in distant places heard of the new wonder. The excitement in the village was electrifying. The man at the center of the news was a womanizer. Imagine how easily he magnetized desperate women longing…
-
Wandering in the woods
A quiet afternoon. Two lovers drift into woods nearby. Intermittent giggling echoes through trees as they run on, as if to escape the prying eyes of the sun searching through trees swaying in the late Friday afternoon winds. It looked dangerous from outside. Now that they were inside the jungle, they saw things differently. The…
-
sticks in my ears
a wet rug was placed over the hot lantern chimneywhen the rug had soaked up enough heat and could no longer breatheit was placed over the fresh wound on my legI squirmed, screamed and tossed in painThick arms gripped me, so that the wet, hot rug could engage in a long lick of my woundmother’s…
-
End of play
We had been rehearsing for weeks, although I had no clue what it all meant and for what occasion. But from the repeated motions day in day out, I figured out some pieces of the puzzle : it was a play about a baby who was to be visited by shepherds. Who this baby was…
-
wake every beast
honed every skilltried every trickcombed every streetwoke every beastcrossed every seatossed every diceate every lielicked every woundpaid every duesplayed every tunedealt every cardtook every chanceknocked every doorfought every dogticked every box yet for all my effortsa harvest of winds but I keep pressing onunrelentingly https://wp.me/paf3ao-m3z
-
Gone with the wind
There are days nothing spectacular happen in our lives. Just routines. And yet one day we look back, and miss those ordinary times. Like I am looking back right now and seeing myself beside a tomato farm right behind our school wall. Almost everyday, while teaching in a classroom on the last floor, I stole…
-
The lone bird is done singing
The lone bird is done singing,and the migratory season is here.It has joined its clanto sail across the sky,to a new land. We cannot help but keep lookingwhere it once stood, singing.The lone bird is no more,only echoes of its voice. Like nicknamesof old high school friendsheld together in indelible inkagainst fading classroom walls,your name…
-
Bleak house
Already, they were suspicious. So, my going there was a gamble. Part of my reason for going there was to gain their trust. That was why when they offered me a meal, I did not hesitate to thank them and head towards the dinning table. They had eaten already, so I was the only one…
-
Nether regions of unfathomable defeat
I was always broke. And lonely. For four solid years. Just when I was headed straight for a bright new dawn at the end of the tunnel, I made a wrong move that sent me spiraling past the beginning of my tunnel into nether regions of unfathomable defeat. The morning of that unforgettable Monday it…
-
Mother
Mother,your sacrificesare unforgettablelike the lines and prints in my palms You saw valuein a premature babyAn infant many would have abandonedYou traveled in every direction for healersin search of herbal doctors to cure your son What many would have rejectedYou nurtured into a full grown man like me You were the colorin my colorful ChristmasesIf…
-
This nosy Tijani of ours
Watching him from the summer hut under which we grilled meat and prepared drinks to be served to customers reminded me of spy movies I watched a long time ago. He looked like a spy. Or maybe he was one. One could never be sure. We could predict when he’ll come, the things he was…
-
Thank you, David🙏
I had the opportunity of writing a rengay with David and it was fun. It was my first time writing one, and frankly I had never heard of the term. But David explained it to me and the rules governing these kinds of poems. It was initially challenging for me to think of saying much…
-
The psychologist
She said she couldn’t see anything in her dreams whenever she slept in a dark room. The lights must be on before she could make sense of anything in her dreams. “You mean when the lights in your room are out, there is neither sunshine or any ray of light in your dreams? “ the…
-
Holidays
Whenever we were caught up with so much work in the office, we longed for public holidays. Then like rain on thirsty lands, we receive some update on a WhatsApp platform or online news website: some public holiday had been announced and was lurking behind the uninformed, waiting to see their surprised looks and giggles…
-
I bring you blood
A cargo ship of hopesShipwreckedBeneath the sea’s toesLurkedGhosts of entrusted dreamsAnd progressHard-earnedSinking Foundations of steel sacrifices laidBricks of greed have replacedPaths of prosperity chartedOvergrown with weedAnd feetOf the coldhearted The Promiseland has become wastelandSince fallen heroes sankTo nether regionsAnd seasons have piled upon seasons The sea is no keeperOf wreckage it floatsBread cast upon the…
-
Can you feel the silence?
The resilience of a peopleCrushed into hateLike juice of grapesTettered to constant shellingAnd constant sellingOf half-truths and half-bakedRealities by the media Surgical scissors and needlesMay sew woundsBut they can’t cup deep enoughTo reach the brokenness withinTo sew and stitchBroken hopes and promises Can you feel the silenceOf budding innocent lives mowed downBegging us to join…
-
Echoes of a forgotten past
It was the kind of place everyone dreamt of goingNot because it was a place meant for the richBut because of the peace, quiet, calmJust something about the placeCalling the soul to come take a look at least onceIn a lifetimeSo many stories about the placeOf how great friends reconnected thereOf how people met the…
-
I prepare the food basket
As I hurried with the basket of food over my headin the direction of the farm, I imagine the scene awaiting me: Students scattered across acres of yam moundsSome tilling, others weeding, the majority (girls)carrying weeds further off the farmland to be burnt I arrive, after a long walk towards the outskirts of the village…
-
What could be going on in his mind?
A hunchback leans against the bark of a treeWatching football training sessions on a parkAs the bus I sat in circled a cornerI spot the smallish figure hiding behind the treeStealing every glance there is to gleanFrom the parkI stare, and wonderWhat could be going on in his mindDid he wish he could play like…
-
I have found a new classroom
I have always been eager to teach, to share, an enthusiasm that has eroded graduallyto reveal its true face : prideToday, I embark on a new journey, one of silence, of listening, of paying attentionI have missed many important lessons and sessions of growthwhile I was gone looking for new converts to discipleI have achieved…
-
My enemies have won
They said moans could be heard from the living room on the Sunday morning she died.It was a child playing on the compound who first heard her. Soon, many ears gathered. And eyes too, as they thronged the living room. There, Adzo, on the carpet floor, leaning against a sofa, her face and posture twisted…
-
Waiting, watching
This is a bus that goes to a city I once lived inA long time agoSeeing passengers getting ready to board itBrings back many memoriesMemories of hopes that never materializedAnd the blessings in disguise I now realizeNot many detours in life will be understoodThe bus leaves, I stare at the inscription behind itI imagine the…
-
Next step
The higher the heightThe deeper the discomfort of climbingThe next step is the reward of the previousThe longer the steps upwardsThe bigger the reward
-
So it has come to this
(I met a group of friends begging on the streets to support the family of their deceased friend in defraying the costs of burial, showing his picture to passersby. And I was inspired to write this poem) So it has come to thisBegging money on the streetsTo bury an old friendHis family sitsUnder empty canopiesWaiting…
-
The Blast
It was a normal day just like anyWe were busy about our activities It was even the anniversary of a giant telecommunications network All over town people were in their colours, jubilant It was probably late afternoon Suddenly, there was a blastLouder than a bombOr anything that could be imaginedIt was the sun itself that…
-
Potential
Didn’t know I had so much potential Till I started pushing myself To the limits It was hard at first But consistency lessened the burden Makes me wonder Just how many untapped reserves of creativity Are sleeping within Thanks to procrastination And unwillingness to break the limits Email:Benjaminnambu1@gmail.com WhatsApp: +233 541 824 839
-
The Outcast (Page 53)
Not getting what we desire is sometimes a blessing in disguise we do not know. It took a lot of looking back on the past to realize what a blessing failures in certain areas of my life would have been. I was too desperate to always be a success. It doesn’t mean being ambitious is…
-
The Outcast (Page 52)
I wasn’t used to studying in groups. Partly because I thought working with a group was slow. And partly because something in me made me to think I was wiser than my peers and didn’t need their assistance in any way. The fool that I was, pride wouldn’t let me see. It took a bold…
-
The picture of a deceased wife
The picture of a deceased wife, on the wall. Seems to stare at the new woman in the home whenever she passes by it. It’s like a living picture, a window through which the dead the old wife could still monitor the affairs of her home from the underworld. It seems to frown whenever things…
-
The night before the excursion
The night before that excursion, Ghana played against Uruguay, a key match in the 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa. The Black Stars of Ghana had built up so much hope in the public and in many Africans. They were the only African team that had not being knocked out yet. There were even…
-
Foggy hopes
Foggy hopesWhen you’re in a dire situationExpecting a miracleAnd you receive a messageTo send your detailsFor a money transferCould it be real?You wonderAnd imagine all the things you’ll doOnce that money lands in your lapYou dreamily draw a budgetDaydreaming even new clothes you’ll purchaseYou wait, like special forces on a missionFor the moment, the alertThat…
-
One Sunday evening
It was a Sunday evening. I was alone in the room. The lights were off, and I lay on the floor, half asleep. Then came a knock on the door. Wasn’t expecting anyone, so I wasn’t particularly bothered about waking to see who it was. Besides, my roommates had gone out. But the knocker was…
-
One family
It hurts doing good sometimesBut I always remember one thingThat we are all brothers and sistersAnd God is Our Father WinterABC2025 Storytelling Festival Email:Benjaminnambu1@gmail.com WhatsApp: +233 541 824 839
-
Performer and Spectator
What does a game teach us? To not wait till we are down by many goalsAnd suddenly start playing with all our heartsA few seconds to end of game A game is won off pitchWhere there are no spectatorsNo applause, only sweat and silenceIt’s where plans are rehearsed, modifiedCodifiedA large room for mistakes and improvement…
-
The Outcast (Page 51)
Sometimes when a circumstance wants to strangle you, it invites you in slowly, tightening its grip on your neck gently, gradually. Soon, you find yourself gyrating in pain and regrets. Level 100, we were seduced into believing university life was cozy. And that, like a bus, we could waste away precious time and still find…
-
Celebration bells chime
Celebration bells chimeCrowdsIt’s the sound of a multitude’s feetRushing to a chapelCuriositySeemed impossibleLike strange news in strange landsAllergic to happening on home soilYet here it wasThe season when the impossible blossomsAwakening the sleeping faithOf many doubtful onesIt’s a weddingThe kind that gives hopeTo many singlesThe long hand of faithClasped in patienceIs long enoughTo reach fruitsOutside…
-
Sacrifices with no microphones
A house standsOn the expertise of many workersA structure of many materials A child is molded into usefulnessUsing clay of different huesSacrifices, compromises, sweat, coaching The higher a buildingThe deeper its foundationElements that will never be seenAnd given due recognitionFor their contributions But there is an eye aboveThat sees below and beyondNoting sacrifices with no…
-
When I grow up
Refuse to growYou’ll soon be glowingIn the discomforting lightOf stunted growthIt’s a harsh worldWhere its builders banishThose who stay backLay backWhile everything around them is changing What does adulthood look like?A mirage for many youthSoon the illusionThat being an adultBrings immense freedom without responsibilitiesFades like echoes in a forgotten dream It’s those who sit in…
-
Distant lands and distant tales
Distant lands look greenerTill the curious mind sails awayCrossing oceans, deserts and milesCrossing sticks, stones and thorns To discover that people in distant landsAre just like those back homePeople of foreign lands tooHave heartaches, headaches, and coughsBreakups, moments of joy and sorrowsThey eat, they dieBut as nature likes to reward the curious mindShe gives to…
-
Married to the Game
I saw him everyday. In the mornings. Very early. Between 6 and 7am. The place I met him varied depending on the time I left the house. But so far as I stepped out around those hours, I surely bumped into him. He seemed to have no holidays, no breaks. Always in same clothes, soaked…
-
Married to the Game
I saw him everyday. In the mornings. Very early. Between 6 and 7am. The place I met him varied depending on the time I left the house. But so far as I stepped out around those hours, I surely bumped into him. He seemed to have no holidays, no breaks. Always in same clothes, soaked…
-
A visit to Lomé
They say maltreatments at one’s current place of abode or work is sometimes the mighty finger of God disguised as a mean boss or guardian, nudging one to upgrade, break camp and advance to some new place, higher heights. Usually sounds a nice philosophy to share but hard living it. I had plenty of misunderstandings…
-
The Outcast (Page 50)
Exams time. First exams in uni. On various notice boards were displayed the exams timetable with the various venues. Something new to freshers like me. The key challenge was locating these venues. To avoid missing a paper due to the difficult of finding the venue, I noted the dates and venues for each paper and…
-
Pause and Ponder
SometimesI have the feelingThat soap bubblesAnd the faces of many funny creaturesAre reflectionsOf some past livesFaces of individualsOf some very long time ago Just wild imaginationsForgive my wild wanderings But take a good look at this lifeA bubbleFloatingIn spaceNever burstingNever sinking in relationTo other elementsPause, and ponderIf these occurred by themselvesWhy isn’t the process replicating…
-
Self Gardening
ConsistencyIn pruning off the excessSpendingsEatingSleepingWasting of time Helps the flowers stay fresh and attractive Prune off the old habitsOf impatience AngerBitterness Allow space for the new you to blossomWith smiles that never fadeNever tainted with jealousy Radiating satisfaction in self nurturing Give yourself space to growAt your own paceDefine a new youThat many won’t know…
-
Village river
I remember the river in my village. It was on the outskirts of the village, behind stretches of thick bushes beyond which lied no man’s house. Our house was among the last leading out the village. From our house, you meet a shrine belonging to one uncle, and from the shrine was one old man’s…
-
The streets of Accra
Why did she call? I contemplate while hurrying home, checking the time on my phone every now and then. Would be odd to have her arrive there ahead of me. Those roommates of mine, we are at loggerheads so they won’t bother to let me know someone came looking for me. In my direction is…
-
The fallen grain
Old habitsDisguisedAs impulsive urgesIt’s the same old trapTo get you goingNowhere Grow upFirst attempts are always clumsy But stick to tryingDay by dayOne day you’ll look backAnd see how every attempt Was a step forward Even those that led to a fallIt’s a fallen grainThat has a chance of Being nurtured by the soilTo grow…
-
The Outcast (Page 49)
I had no brother older than me to orient me properly on university life and how to properly place my steps to make the most of my student life on campus. So, I sat myself down. “This is a new environment and this is your first time in uni.” I told myself. I convinced myself…
-
Gloomy night
I heard her. Splashing water into toilet seats. Kicking and knocking washroom doors to be sure no one was in there. Rolling mop buckets. I could smell the scent of detergents, and her grumbling. “So a human being really did this!” she blurted. I’ve always complained about the poor maintenance of the washrooms. Here was…
-
Fascinating science
Mother came back from a hospital checkupShe said the white man is a wonderFor with a machine she knew not its nameThe doctor looked into her wombAnd saw all the babies she was going to have! The current one, and the rest to come years laterWe were stunnedHow could this be?Amazing the things happening in…
-
Love finds you
She said love finds you. Perhaps it hasn’t found her, worthy, yet. We didn’t know why she wasn’t married, yet, at her age. We dare not ask. She wasn’t the approachable type. Besides, we wanted to live long. Didn’t want any tigress pouncing on our young lives. She was well advanced in years. And we…
-
Scent of fresh paint
The scent of fresh paint on house walls MemoriesOf fresh beginningsof moving into a new house A tipof the icebergOf a goldmineOf simple life pleasuresTaken for granted https://wp.me/p4GQQl-CXc
-
The Outcast (Page 48)
The first time I saw the University of Ghana was the day I was headed to my high school to get further details about my admission. It was always the main entrance I saw, nothing more. Each time I passed by in a public transport, the main entrance was always all I saw, with people…
-
Strangers
We sometimes dream of one day making great connections, friendships that are deeply rewarding or important business contacts. In our mind, that ideal some day will be perhaps our first trip on a plane to a new land, a special dinner or some miraculous coincidence. We may even fantasize that during such special days we…
-
The world doesn’t pity the poor
The sun was scotchy, and as its heat intensified, so did my fatigue and hunger. I doubled my steps, my mind working out shops to pass by and what to purchase so I wouldn’t get home and regret purchases that should have been made. Occasionally I would turn to be sure some reckless driver wasn’t…
-
Lazy morning
I wake up, unsure what time it is. Can’t remember where my phone is. I doze off a little, waking again not knowing how many minutes extra I’ve slept. I look up at the windows. Slightly lit. Must be 5am thereabout. I grope in the slightly dark room, on my bedsheets, for my phone. There…
-
The Games
It was a family fun day. But the arrangements under the canopies were not according to families. This was the Body of Christ so every person under each canopy was seen as family. I knew no one. Threading cautiously, I entered the venue, a park. Things were done differently in this new church. There was…
-
The Outcast (Page 47)
It was one late night. We were sitting in the dormitory, chatting. This was after preps, a time all students revised their lessons or did assignments. I was no longer a student. But I stayed in the school’s hostel to help a staff with evening lessons for adults. It was the time Blackberry phones had…
-
The wedding at Baaltazar
“I paid 10,000 cedis to rent this place for the wedding reception.” the groom told me. “Wow! That’s a lot of money.” I remarked. In my mind, I was calculating how many months it would take me to raise that amount of money. At least 12, if I were determined to keep my salary whole…
-
Trouble, brewing
He did not say it, but it was written all over him. If the visitor pushed, Marlon would break from the mother church. The Archbishop was ill and this was not a good time to stir up trouble. There were already rumors that after the Archbishop dies, the church would split. There was a lot…
-
Medieval Chapel
I enter a medieval chapelTrapped in the ancient architecture A distinctive atmosphere I grope for a labelI marvel at the mysteryAnd mastery Of the designsThe dexterity The pain and passion pumped into the projectImpressively appealing A signature of past lives and past timesIn its walls, I sense the sweat of the workersAnd the desperation of…
-
The Outcast (Page 46)
Double standards. Same people who educated us about examination malpractices were asking us to make contributions to bribe invigilators because same invigilators who reminded us before the exams rules we were not to break, realized some broken rules could be mended with money. It was a chain and only the dumb ones were fed the…
-
It’s an empty market
Hungry, I hurry to the marketAll along the way, I imagine the things I’ll buyOccasionally drifting off to think of other thingsI arriveAn empty market greets meHow?! Oh! I suddenly remember whyAs I look up to windows Of nearby hostelsAll shut, except a few squeaking in the gentle windsIt’s vacation today for the studentsDamn! Where…
-
It’s a long story
I can’t remember what sent me there that morning. I had assumed she was awake by then. Many of her next-door neighbors were still asleep when I got there. There was one worker who was leaving early to work. He told me he heard her voice so I should knock a little louder. Perhaps she…
-
Resilience is the color of Nature
Resilience is the color of NatureFeel her stubbornness in tough weedThat keep rising when crushedSee them rise among rocksAmong thornsEven on paths frequented by a million feetFeel her patience vibrating in the wavesCalculated moves and motivesLurking in the breezeSearching for soft spots of ships to strikeFeel her fearlessness, fury and focusMirrored in the faces of…
-
The Outcast (Page 45)
Finally I traveled back to the city to prepare for my final exams of high school. It was the first time I was living on my own. I was to stay in a new hostel. The joy of living as I please without any parental control was overwhelmingly intoxicating. Joy beyond description, beyond measure. Little…
-
I fear these dark valleys
I fear these dark valleysWhere echoes of footstepsHaunt meI dread these lonesome journeysWhere pieces of broken promises Jab meI fish these empty spacesFor something to fill the emptiness withinPalpable emptiness, all I catchI’ll revere these formative yearsAnd the tears, uncertainties and testsThey fed me Email:Benjaminnambu1@gmail.com WhatsApp: +233 541 824 839
-
Live
LiveDon’t be a cowardRecoiling every timeYou’re struckYou’re hitYou’re sunkPushEmergeHit back, hit hardRefuse to remain underDon’t let them knock offThat smile, that shineDon’t let them dampenYour indomitable spiritYour optimism Stand tallFor agesBe consistently youNo matter what they do to youBe kind, full of smilesAlways extending a hand to the needyA hand to thoseWho have no one…
-
The Outcast (Page 44)
Our parents’ job requires being constantly on the move. And now that I had reached my final year in high school, they were transfered again, leaving the city for a town I had no idea where it was on the map. Never heard of the town before. There were many popular towns in our country…
-
Mark and Tiffany
Mark thought deeply about what he was about to do. Risky, no doubt. But it’s in trying you increase your chances of success. But this trial was no ordinary trial. Failing will be unbearable. He thought deeply, slowly. He and Tiffany had been friends long enough. At first, whenever he asked a girl out, the…
-
That furnace called Dreams
I am excited to announce the publication of my poem “That furnace called Dreams” on Pooja’s website. I would like to specially thank Pooja for showcasing my work. Here is the link to the piece on her website: That Furnace Called Dreams (Guest Post)
-
Shame
The children were all looking beautiful. Even though it was a competition, the children were all happy to see one another, exchanging friendly glances and giggles. To them, it was just one of their usual fun times. To the adults, this was a warfare they were all determined to use any means possible to win.…
-
What is maturity?
What is maturitywithout the ability to keep secrets? Why tell a secret if it increases the probability That trust will be brokenThat old wounds will be opened What is lifewithout timeTo tailor one’s lifestyle to one’s tastes? Why the hasteWhy the raceAs if this life is a competitionAs if being busy is what brings recognition…
-
The Outcast (Page 43)
I was about knocking the gate as usual when I noticed something unusual: Voices and laughter emanating from the living room. Then the motorcycle of Mrs. Annette’s husband who should have been away on a work trip. Then the bicycle of the watchman who comes in the evening. What was happening? I knocked on the…
-
Life different from ours
In the city where we live, life happens so fast. There’s hardly time to pause and remember even one’s own name. A month passes by like a silent wind, impossible to clutch and account for what one did with them. You’re neighbour’s with strangers for years and friends with people far far away. But here…
-
Total recall
Certainly within me Certainly within reachLike flamboyant petalsLike flamboyant medalsThese beautiful dreams Though risky like a ponzi schemeThey echo in my thoughts like a theme songForcing me to put my retired energies on total recall https://wp.me/p4GQQl-C6w
-
The Outcast (Page 42)
Youth and foolishness. I’ve noticed no matter how matured a young person looks, there will always be traces of immaturity in a number of things done. Sometimes the microscope just has to zoom in further to find the traces. They are always there. It takes time for many of them to wilt and fall off.…
-
The Missing Keys
One Christmas evening, we were returning home after a visit to one of our aunt when I felt my pocket and realized the bunch of keys to our house was missing. “Oh! “ I exclaimed. ” I forgot the keys at Aunt Regina’s place. My big brother was the kind that hardly smiled. And it…
-
Fatigue
Traffic jam. I check my time. Probably won’t be home as early as planned. The driver is contemplating changing his route. “Anyone alighting at Third Gate?“ he asks without turning to the conductor. ” One passenger, ” the conductor tells him. The driver seems annoyed by that piece of information. I shake my head staring…
-
Beauty
There! On a window pane in the corridorA brand new laptop and an Iphone! Who could have left them here?In a place where almost everydayThere were complaints of theftsAs my footsteps grow louder on the tiled floorIn the direction of the shiny itemsGlistening in a ray of sunshineI hear the flush of a toiletAnd feet…
-
Ladies on a balcony
They were a bunch of female students, on the balcony of the last floor of our hostel, hooting and jeering at passersby. I hadn’t seen them until I was stabbed with a remark about my clothes. They said my combination was off. It was embarrassing. I took a look at what I wore. They were…
-
Go places
It’s a beautiful worldSo beautiful sometimes it makes you forgetYour worries, sorrows and little lifeWhen you think of the vastness of this universeDoesn’t it inspire you to dream big?Don’t you see finger and footprints of a Mighty Being?Aren’t you ashamed of the many ways we destroy its beauty and peace?Do you see traces of the…
-
The Outcast (Page 41)
Before I was admitted into senior high school, I was confident that I was going to excel academically as I did in junior high school. Little did I know that the fatigue from the long distance to school coupled with teachers who never showed up in class to teach would weaken that resolve. Every resolution…
-
Family
Their mother did not know her birthday. She was born in an era and place where no priority was placed on keeping records. And so when she had to get a national ID, their father guessed a date. On WhatsApp statuses, her children see other children post their moms on their birthdays and feel unable…
-
A lesson well learnt
The first time Mina moved into her hostel, she noticed the cold attitude of her roommates. It was as if she needed to pay them to respond to her greetings based on the number of words in their responses. One was actually sitting on her bed and the reluctance with which she stood up was…
-
The comeback
Was she sorry for what she did? A question that constantly roamed Joe’s mind and wouldn’t settle. Where could she be now? He hoped time will teach her a lesson. Time was a fertile ground on which character took root and bore fruits – some a hundred fold, some fifty. He prayed her harvest will…
-
Kaiza
A limited market. That’s what this country is. The more people are pumped into the system, the the more the market becomes choked; everyone will eventually go broke. But these idiots don’t realize that. They claimed they’re giving the next generation a chance. Kaiza has always been in his corner, minding his business. He’s the…
-
One windy night
It was a cloudy and windy night. The winds were swinging our wooden chapel windows like recalcitrant children determined to drive their parents mad with their foolishness. Even the presiding Bishop was in a hurry for the church service to close, he that never hesitated to tell people to not be in a hurry to…
-
The new place
For a moment I thought she wasn’t going to pick up. Perhaps she’s not around the phone. As I psyched myself to give up on dialing her number, I was picturing where her phone could be. Maybe in the kitchen or bedroom, and she’s probably on the compound, busy with some activity. Oh! And then…
-
No filters
Each time I’m woundedThere has always been a tendencyTo shut myself inBut a covered plantCannot blossomEven if it doesWhat healthy growth could that be?That’s why I keep shining, I keep smilingEven when it’s difficult dilating my lipsThat’s why I keep doing goodEven when I’m paid ingratitude in returnSee the many things I would have missedHad…
-
After many years
“Wow. People change,” Samson thought, suddenly feeling proud of himself. Samson remembered the first day he saw Angela and the short see-through dress she wore that day. He still remembers her inviting glossy lips that he fought hard to not stare at. And that seductive perfume of hers he kept wondering what brand it could…
-
Ask me where I want to go
Ask me where I want to goI’ll finish telling you before you’re done askingAsk what I’m doing to get thereAnd I’ll sigh, my head bowedAnd my unspoken response?DistractionsSome I createBut the majority come by themselvesFrom God knows whereSome are good after a hard day’s workBut on days my engine is coldAnd refusing to startWhile miles…
-
Gossip from the village
Cousin Ama was on a visit. She’s from our village many miles away. It’s been three years since we left. And a lot has happened within those three years that memories of our past lives in the village were slowly eroding. Cousin’s visit revived many of those fading memories. As I overheard the conversation between…
Diary of a Wanderer 