He Was a Failed Project

Do not be like your eldest brother
She advises them.
I spent my resources on him
Took him to Machakos School
And then to university
But he disappointed me
And became a rebel.

Your eldest brother
She maintains
Was a sharp sword
And somewhere
Along his way
Became a bhang smoker
And decided
To quit university.

Your eldest brother
She adds fuel
To her fireplace
Would be owning
Lots of properties–
Matatus on the road
Buildings in Town
And plenty of money.

Your eldest brother
She keeps saying
Was a brilliant and promising boy
Before his uncle bewitched him
And that’s why I tell you
To shun your grandpa’s tenets.

See your alpha brother
She keeps underscoring
Has grown hair
That resembles Miombo Woodlands,
Has been hooked
By those magical leaves,
And his helper
Keeps ringing me
About him
Becoming a street scavenger–
A prodigal son.

There are huge amounts of sadaka
That has been offered
To save the alpha son
From the chains of the devil.

Your eldest brother
She adds
Got lost for good
Upon joining
This misleading religious movement
That encourages intoxication
And rebellion.
Please don’t let your little boy
To join his Satanic ways
She advises his helper
Make sure
That he grows
In the ways of the Lord.

Do you see his prayer items?
Please do away with them
The same with the kofia he uses
To cover his mkora hair
She advises his helper
Who listens
With every cell of her ears.

Well, some of us
Seem to have been born
In an alien world–
Our nature and aspirations
Conflict
With those of the masses.
We feel lost
And sometimes we sink.
We try to forge our way through
Against the odds
Sometimes we feel
Like going with the flow.
Something inside us
Keeps us going
Although we’re hugely battered
And our hearts
Are largely wounded.
Will we heal 
In this lifetime?
Will we ever 
Cease to be crucified
Because of who we are?
One day
We certainly will.

© Sea-Crab Poetry

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