In the tapestry of nations, diverse and vast,

A mother's love is a tie that will forever last.

My mother, not better than any other's embrace,

Speaks in tongues, a harmonious cultural grace.

Swahili, Luganda, Igbo, English's embrace,

Chinese whispers, languages interlace,

These threads of her power, diversity's kiss,

My mother is special, and unique in her bliss.

"My children," she says, with love in her eyes,

A mother to all, a profound surprise,

"How can this be," I asked in my youth,

"I thought you were mine, a simple truth."

"Little child," she responded with care,

"A mother's love is meant to be shared.

For a mother is more than blood and bone,

A life-giver, a fighter, seeds she's sown.

She keeps us in view, come joy or strife,

Shielding her children, the centre of life.

If I depart, and my children survive,

Their smiles shall brighten the world, and come alive.

I am the mother of children, continent-wide,

In me, they find strength, in me, they confide.

When I bleed, it's for Africans' plight,

In laughter, I celebrate their might.

When I rain, it's blessings I send,

In the kitchen, love's flavours blend.

I'm a mother, limitless, no boundaries in sight,

In my heart, you're my day and my night.

My sons and daughters, heed my decree,

I'm a mother to all, as you can see.

Speak in tongues, embrace black and white,

Walk, fly, and never lose sight.

Of the tears you shed, and the strength to repair,

For in unity and love, you're a power to bear.

A cloth for the naked, bread for the hungry,

A shared sorrow, a future that's sunny.

Solidarity, together you stand,

Chasing division away from your land.

I am a mother to all, my children of birth,

Learn from my love, unite the Earth.

In this competition, let Africa's voice ring clear,

A mother's love, her children hold dear.

For in her embrace, they find a home,

Not a war den, but a place to freely roam.

If ever the day comes when I shall ascend,

My hands shall feed Kenyan children, hearts on the mend,

Nursing the wounds of Congo with tender grace,

Binding the bleeding calabash, embracing every place.

Sudan's sorrow, fragmented and torn,

I'll mend with love, from despair reborn.

As streams of water through your homes, I'll flow,

Cleansing the curse of disunity's shadow.

From West to South to Eastern lands,

I'll extend my reach, joined heart and hands,

A unified Africa, I shall envision,

Where plenty replaces hunger's cruel decision.

The day the sun and moon converge,

No one will suffer, no soul will urge,

A sacred union of African hearts,

A continent ready for its fresh start.

We'll tell our stories with one voice,

Facing the universe, making our choice,

No need for walls, in unity secure,

Humanity's warmth, our hearts will assure.

I shall rise, Africa's dignity reclaimed,

To the universe, our message proclaimed,

Years of sorrow, a path to purification,

A defining moment, ending injustice's domination.

Give me a chance, and I shall rise,

Humanity's essence, in everyone's eyes,

Above all else, in history's decree,

I shall be a beacon of hope for all to see.

In the heart of the city, town, village, and forest's embrace,

Words can't convey the depths of this place's grace.

With the rooster's call, fate's pathway we trace,

A journey that could lead to any heart's space.

She faced day's terrors, with each dawn's grace,

A baby dependent on mercy, in this complex space.

Fed on leftovers, in this challenging race,

Where her life's story played on fate's chase.

Did she grow, this baby so small?

Years pass, and now she stands tall.

An adult's strength, she can't be denied,

Equal rights, her heart's deepest stride.

Master! You’ve seen her grow, side by side,

Yet your concern blooms, now that milk's not her guide.

Oh, master, I'm an adult, hear my call,

I deserve life's rights, just like them all.

To decide my path, to answer my call,

A mother to nations, let my name stand tall.

Africa, my identity, my soul's pride,

Not just a subject, but a universe's guide.

Master, it's time to let old ways fall,

For Africa to rise, answering destiny's call.

Stop tearing me apart, let peace enthrall,

Africa, a developed land, hear its clarion call.

No more deciding from afar's distant thrall,

Africa's solutions, let them be our all.

Respect this land, where life's roots sprawl,

Africa sustains, let its name enthrall.

Master, I love you, despite it all,

Now let's unite, let Africa's starlight install.

For the universe's life, it's Africa's protocol,

Let Africa shine, as it stands tall!

In blood, she seemed to find its end,

She sensed it all, a message to send.

Beside her, your aroma did blend,

Innocent heart, a plea to mend.

Dark tomb, where masters rule and descend,

Silenced creatures, stories left untold, no amend.

Fresh is the memory, wounds yet to mend,

Season's patches, scars we can't transcend.

But deep down, she knows she's on the mend,

No longer captive, her spirit to defend.

Off the cliff, she was thrown, an honour they pretend,

Survival her fate, a new chapter to attend.

Freedom came with bullets, a battle to defend,

Her children fed on your poisonous trend.

Her values were raped, her spirit couldn't suspend,

Left in poverty, her strength they'd rend.

Even in the grave, she'll cry to the end,

Tell the Universe, your apologies never did extend.

If you could feel her pain, my friend,

A curse on the universe, no peace to extend.

Yet she's meek and peaceful, her message to send,

A home for the universe, its wounds to mend.

Call her your mother, let unity ascend,

Children of Africa, on her love, depend.

She's the Mother of all, let her love extend,

A beacon of hope, where hearts transcend.

If laughter could grasp the stick and lash my buttocks, it would be bearable than seeing myself in your pot of soup.

It was the 11th of September 2016. The cold weather undressed my zip; I could not click sleep. I rolled on the bed as an adolescent. It was too difficult to bear. Listening to my heart, it pumps go and try. It is your night to explore.

Just to unbolt the door, my no-nonsense mother sprouted like the mushroom.

“Where are you going? She said.

I was a dump to reply and empty in my brain of the lies to produce and confuse her innocent alert. Little did I know she was processing my silence in her heart.

She again inquired, “My dear son, how dare you keep quiet on me?”

Mother, I am very sorry. I threw to her a polite apology to pose that all was fine. In my depth of thoughts, I tried to make her let me go. She insisted that it was late.

“Please, do not let my words bother you, my son. I am just concerned. I know why I am saying this, in case of a tomorrow which may come before the sunrise.”

She hid her voice in the idiomatic solitude. I dashed out from the room telling her I am going to be alright. A few minutes later, I found myself at the nearby pub where there are different shapes and sizes. I looked for the type of boob that sized my taste and I tell you it was….

If Jesus is to come that night, I would have been the first to be declared, the wolf of young sex night expert. The journey was just at the brim when I lost my brain and injected my hard disk unprotected. I searched deep and deep my stick of tiger till the snake caught up the rivers gushing forth white porridge.

The night passed. We exchanged contacts to keep the appointment again. Next day, it was night; I tried her number, she linked me up in her place.

"You can come over I am all alone to myself. I miss you a lot." That was Vannessa's voice on the phone call. I hastened as fast as I could. To switch on to the next level as she wanted it so quick, D-More, the father found us on a couch. I froze in thoughts and oozes of sweat. I only received a terrible and awakening slap that reminded me where the door was. I headed away while on underpants only. I thought it was over. Meanwhile, I died slowly of the pain at home to avoid my mother noticing it.

Four months later, I fell sick. My mother was worried about what was wrong with me. The poor widow was scared. She insisted that we should go to see the doctor. I was a bit hesitant. Later, I joined her in the chorus.

“Good afternoon Mrs Namale,” Doctor Chally said.

My mother replied in her solemn and scary voice. She told the doctor, “my son is sick and I want to have him tested for malaria.”

“All right, madam. I will have him tested then, you have to wait outside as I do so.”

“No problem, thank you.”

The blood specimen was taken with a long and painful syringe. I was mad with myself because it has been a while not been at the hospital for any sickness.

An hour later, the lab result was out. The doctor at first told me that there was a problem. Then my inner eyes which were almost dosing on the chair became as bright as if I have just woken up on a bright sunny day. I was eagerly waiting to hear what he had to tell me only to say;

“I am sorry, you are positive.”

Eeeh… Young man, you must be joking. I quarrelled at him then I realised the night I enjoyed myself to hell without protection. My consciousness returned; my guilt of cheating cautioned my integrity. Then, the poor widow lost words. The night fades in with embarrassment.

Good afternoon. I can see all your ears are waiting eagerly to hear what you’ve never heard and see whom you’ve never seen. It's unfortunate to disappoint you to stop expecting another because he's already here speaking to you. Yeah, I am who I am. I hope you listen attentively to today’s edition with meditative heart because you will never be the same again.

I didn’t know what pride can do until I saw true colours of hunger; a situation I was the only actor in the play. No one told me to take a step and seek for the solution.

I hope you are not in a hurry because the real dance is yet to begin.

With due respect ladies and gentlemen, the affluent show off in the supermarket ended just in two weeks of lockdown. A thought came after an afternoon without lunch almost in the web of depression, “Bringing the best out of this situation, lies in your power of creating another you.” Is this possible? I asked myself. How can I create another me?

March 20th, 2020 till date has been an interesting moment that will never be effaced in the memory of my existence. Coronavirus lockdown started as if it is a few days issue until I was told to stop working due to the presidential directives.

Keeping all things constant, I spent my whole day thinking and anticipating for a better tomorrow which is yet to come. Survival became the option not development anymore. Three square meal turned into two; strategically, between 10 am, breakfast and early supper at 5 pm. Although, it was so, I was hopeful because some do have a meal while others have none through the day and they were hopeful too.

Categorically, I shoulder-off my pride; picked my hoe where I had hid it and went to my farm. Recalling the words of my late father, Dad Luke, “when a man forgets his true self and live the other, that man certainly will have no destination.” These knocked off my pride of white-collar job to digging the garden which was the childhood experience I never liked but now the pandemic of Coronavirus have shaped my thinking faculties. What about you?

Currently, my farm has fattened my pocket and as well restocked my hope of eating three times a day. This realisation created for me a job that I will never quit doing; seeing my berries flowering, the tomatoes and lettuce in their harvesting stage, I heave a sigh of relief.

An applauds for me, please!

Calm down for a while please; there is a token for you before the break.

Uum!!! What is your take on this today? Do you still consider agriculture as work for failures or a way forward towards keeping our society sustained?

Just think about it.

Work with me; we shall say goodbye to hunger.

She is filled with uncertainties. But many awaits for the arrival of her unborn child to fill up their cups of favour which have been drained by the elder son of 2019, “COVID-19”.

Five months from now, she will deliver her hidden mystery to humanity who knows but just put on your garment of hope and be calm for she must surely give birth.

On the 1st of April is the day 2020 the husband of Mrs January 2021, decides to try his luck after ten years of marriage without a child and immediately she became pregnant.

"You can imagine the situation we are in now coupled with pregnancy", 2020 lamented.

Surely, corona the son of 2019, though I am quite as if I don't know what to do, I am waiting for your tenure to expire. Even as that, I am not going to let you go just like that without hearing a word from me. Receive this from me today;

Corona you are a dangerous visitor,

Corona you know nobody,

Everybody is your guest.

You turned the world into epicurean’s style of life;

Eating to finish as if there will be no tomorrow.

You have proven to be harsh, tough and wicked;

Ostensibly, you are too proud of yourself

Just like humans you visited.

But wait you will cry at last.

Better run for your life now,

Nemesis will flog you mercilessly.

Your downfall is near.

Be calm my child,

Be still my people,

Keep on the path of health and safety measures,

It is just for a moment.

Another will be the news of the demise COVID-19,

No more to threaten humanity again.

Courage and never give up,

Together we shall conquer.

Corona you have come to the end of your existence.

Corona my tribute to you is,

You have lost the fight;

You started as a warrior,

But crumbled like a coward.

Farewell corona to the land of no return.

Rejoice oh! humans

And make merry once again.

January 2021 has decreed.

“I am Olaka the prince of Odongo”.

“I know you before you were born”, says Dionysus.

Smiles!

Behold! “I present to you the unending lists of gratitude bundled on my back as I was setting off to come and visit you”.

“Your benevolence to us has been great. Even those who were barren are now smiling because the nectar that dropped into their womb by your hands of fertility has made their life fruitful”.

More so, the oracles sent their regards too for the aromantic flame that oozes out from your pot of wine. Indeed they see visions more clearly once they have just sipped from your winepress.

“Day and night end in Dionysus," says the youths and the emperors. When they sit back and a glass of wine from your palace is served to them, they go back home and fertile the lands of every maiden that is of age to becoming a woman.

“My god, Dionysus, apart from that, I Olaka desire to dine and wine with you forever because you are the end of everything that is good”.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha! “You are a true son of your father the king of Odongo. Come and have more of my blessings my son”.

Afterwards, the god bid him farewell with a kiss of a smile, a blue apple and a jar of fresh tasty wine.

As lions clutch their faces

The patient deer hung so gently

Panting to have their daily bread

Lines apart

Thus unite

A blazing heart

Hunted for joy

Like a charming maiden

Calling for attention

Patients though

Hard as rock

All the same

Longing for chill

The joy of the moonlight

Flashing lights of the stars

Melos the chamber

Of my beast

A cracked hole

Moist mud

Stained garment

Rage of tigers

Canopy of trees

Hosts of termites

Multitude of ants

Gangs of terror

Dragons of disaster

Echoing

Enough!

The leopard’s skin

Untouched by rain

Softens the rocks

Soothing the bones

Whispering fragrant

Words of peace

KEEP Model, summarized the path of remaining focused in my journey of life. The knowledge about my experiences has enabled me to explore and unlock my potentials more effectively and efficiently.

The beautiful moment I spend pursuing knowledge about what I want is not a wrong idea. However, channelling this knowledge towards where my strength is will not only make my journey to success easier but blossom my potentiality with ease. The ability to know is within me, but it is fitting to shift from the shadow that I knew and move into the pragmatic operation of what the reality is, explore what I have experienced and how best it can be sustained to create the world I seek, the paradise I longed to dwell and share these potentials so as to transform the world beyond my thinking. Living in the shadow cripples one’s ability to know that I can do more than what is in the shadow. Most notably, my life ghost knowledge; ghost knowledge in the sense that I do plan the way for others to move forward but unable to get out of my own shadow and exist. My greatest enemy was fear of exploring who I am, and what I can do best not just what others can do to become superfluous but what I can. Success comes in variable dimensions depending on where this bright morning favours found you. Do not let your fear counsel you. Shadow is like a cobweb that engrosses one's reality.#