Tuesday, March 25, 2008

A Man’s World

This is a recollection of my growing up as a boy at Eastlands in Nairobi.

Tears well in my eyes,
As memories reign supreme,
Memories less flattering,
Memories that still linger.

I once was,
A small boy of pity,
Helpless, weak,
And depended, for support, on mother.

When the boy next door,
Came brandishing his fist,
I scurried to mother calling,
And only insulted at her side.

I was jeered at,
By other boys,
Who had the energy to waste,
Playing their dirty paper ball!

The slightest,
Bullying and punching,
Broke my heart of glass,
And hot tears streamed my cheeks.

Softie, mother’s boy,
Were their descriptions of me,
Girlish boy, they sneered,
As a sock came hurtling my way.

How vulnerable I was,
How puerile,
Stupid, even,
For a boy to expect a smooth sail.

In the evening, my father chided,
Son, taking a loaded punch,
Swallowing a maiming insult,
Are the ingredients of a man’s world.

P.S.:- Whatever happens in this country, I'll always be proud to be a Kenyan!!

3 comments:

  1. Poor Ritch....So you thought

    Eastlando was bad the... Poor Ritch....So you thought Eastlando was bad then? You should visit there today. Young thugs (50 cent wanabees) are armed to teeth with AK47's and have little or no regard to the sanctity of human life. Buru and Umo are shadows of their former self and are slums with illegal 'extensions' crowding up the once beautiful suburbs.

    Kila shortie is behind closed doors when the clock strikes 8pm.

    Just how on God's earth did we get here?..... Life will never be the same in Eastlando!

    Antonio-

    ReplyDelete
  2. antonio

    ata mi nili ishi mbotela, jeri alafu buru, them days. ndio kulikuwa kubaya, but ilikuwa days za jamaa au wanaume, vita zilikuwa on issues au generally mchongoano na fight moja hapa na pale.

    siku hizi ni thugs tupu na hakuna grey matter upstairs ata kidogo

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanx guys for consoling my 'forlon soul'!

    ReplyDelete

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