The Twelveth Collection

cold July morning

cold July morning--
dew drops on empty jerrycans
still in the line

a somnolent night

a somnolent night--
kamba beats from a night pub
soothe me to bed

*Kamba is my tribe and one of the 42 plus tribes in Kenya

a leaf swirls from a

a leaf swirls from a
moribund huneysuckle--
dry August

dry August

dry august--
water seeps into my black
jerrycan at last

water shortage

water shortage--
myriad colours of jerrycans
at the slum borehole

at the borehole

at the borehole--
a young donkey bends under
the weight of water

starless night

starless August night--
two electric blues from the
working welders

power rationing

power rationing--
kids applaud the return
of electricity

closed slum borehole

closed slum borehole--
maudlin drunkard with an
empty jerrycan

August night

August night--
a pale shadow of a man
as the moon appears