For these I shall live, and fight!

Thirty nine I have lived here

Look, there is nothing left

I have lived here

I have eaten sweet fruit here

I have drunk bitter herbs here

I have licked sand, clay, ash, salt and sugar here

Look, there is nothing left

Nothing left for me!

Six months I crawled in earth and space

One year I stamped the earth for space

Ten years I combed bushes for fruit and space

Twenty years I fought for honour, love and space

Thirty years I wrestled for honour, love, justice and space

One, twenty, thirty, thirty nine, fighting for honour, love, justice, life and space

Look, there is nothing left

Nothing left for me!

Nothing!

Thirty nine I have lived here

Look, there is nothing left

I have lived here

I have eaten sweet fruit here

I have drunk bitter herbs here

I have licked sand, clay, ash, salt and sugar here

Look, there is nothing left

Nothing left for me!

My heart swells to bust

My eyes hang to fall

My nose sniffs to clog

My mouth opens to chock

My ears flap to irritate

Look, there is nothing left

Nothing!

Thirty nine I have lived here

Look, there is nothing left

I have lived here

I have eaten sweet fruit here

I have drunk bitter herbs here

I have licked sand, clay, ash, salt and sugar here

Look, there is nothing left

Nothing left for me!

Nothing except hope

And for that, I shall live, and fight

Someday I shall have them back!

A Prophesy for Rafael Magezi and Beatrice Anywar

Last night I had a dream. There I were at the top of Tororo Rock, my legs crossed, my eyes closed, my joined palms beneath my chin. I was praying for a VISA to Somalia. I could see a very beautiful Mogadishu. It looked like Chicago. Never mind I have never been to any of those cities.

I had a strong voice call me by my middle name: “Odinga, Odinga, open your eyes”. I opened. Then I saw from atop a shrub flickers of blue fire. In them appeared to be a face of a man. From it the voice came again:”Odinga, Odinga, you can now close your eyes.” I closed them again. 

“You have seen God,” the voice said. I started to tremble. The voice came again: “Odinga, Odinga, do not be afraid. Now, listen carefully. I have a message for my children.” There after deep silence engulfed the area. In the ground I felt a strong tremor. I felt the ground was about to swallow me. But I kept my eyes closed. Soon after the place was calm again. The voice came again:

 “Go tell Rafael Magezi that beneath the earth I am present. Above the earth and beneath the sky I am present. Above the sky I am present. I am God.

“Go tell him that from me comes life. From me comes wisdom. From me comes the gift of love.  I am angry with him for abusing my gift of wisdom. I am angry with him for abusing my gift of love. For that he will receive my wrath. Let him watch out for the third moon from today. For then he will feel my presence.

“His banana trees will bear stones. His goats will produce rats, and his cows will give sour milk. I will give him a long life of torment, long enough for him to receive the rebuke of his grand children. For my gifts of love and wisdom are supposed to be shared, not to be thrown in mud.  

“Odinga, Odinga, listen carefully. This is the voice of God.

“To my child Beatrice Anyar, go tell her that I am very angry. For throwing away my gift of wisdom, for throwing away my gift of love, I am angry. I give her enough food bus she is never satisfied. She eats soot. Her heart is now as black as her skin.

“Tell her to watch out for the third moon from today. For then she will see my wrath. Evil spirits will attack her every night.  They will whip her back with rubber. They will flog her by the womb. They will stick needles into her feet. She will call my name but I will not answer. She will wail but I will be silent. For my gifts of love and wisdom are supposed to be shared, not to be thrown in mud.  

“Odinga, Odinga, Odinga” 

“Yes my Lord!” 

“This is the voice of God.” And there was silence. 

After a while I heard a bell ring. I opened my eyes. I was in my bed. So it was just a dream. The ring was a six o’clock alarm I had set in my phone. It was just a dream people.