Msaa

by Joe Mwenda                                     Download pdf ~ epub ~ mobi


The hangover that should be gone by mid-morning lingers
The afternoon solar is lethal
A brother sells cabbages by the roadside
Blocking my path, of fellow in hurry, impatient, tired walkers,
Of those that cook, of dust.
How else will the cabbages begging to be bought be seen?
Tomatoes are on sale.
It’s the mango season so mangoes too.

Korogocho market is the supplier our roadside retailers
it is a close to the home of our garbage
A story spreads about lead concentration
in the blood of Eastlands’ kids,
of veggies watered by the Nairobi River

The cabbages I see are bad investment
“Who would buy such, to sell or to consume?”
you might ask.
They are typical of a starter business with limited capital.
Wonder who would buy that mango?
Don’t ask, don’t wonder.

A man might one day grow dreadlocks
decide that it is sinful with such locks
to trim others’ hair
so closes the barber shop he has always run
leave you with nowhere to shave for he knows your head best
start selling cabbages and mangoes that you might never buy
even in the desperation of unshaved hair.

But I am the son of my mother
these brothers, that yell ‘cabbage mbao! ‘cabbage mbao!’
in this lethal afternoon solar are not of that mother.
This sun can kill, besides, I have a beard-trim to figure out.
I’ve got to get to the house
Excuse me.


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Download pdf ~ epub ~ mobi
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Joe Mwenda is a Kenyan psychologist working with persons with various learning disabilities in Nairobi. He loves books. He loves poetry and has been creating his own for at least eight years. 
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Also in This Issue

Short Stories

Poetry