Excerpts From My Nanyuki Diary

(Submitted to the Laikipia County Times)

‘You are in exhibition. You see a canvas. Somebody has poured paint all over. You hear people say, ‘I love the theme of this paint...just look at the emotions it carries...so subtle...so nuanced. And you are there wondering: What are these people talking about? What emotions?’

So, my love for poetry found me travelling to Nanyuki on 5th August this year for a poetry performance in a newly-formed poetry slam dubbed ‘Thank God It’s Friday’. The theme was on street life experience. I had settled for Child of Shame, a poem that highlighted the experiences of street children. I felt that their story hadn’t been told much and that through the medium of poetry, the challenges they braved in the streets and the vulnerability they faced needed to be spoken out.

The event was to start at 5.30 p.m. My hosts Mathew Owino and Sam Kairu treated me to the scenic beauty of Lily Pond. Matter of fact, I stood right in the middle of the equator at Lily Pond Arts Centre. I was taken through the Exhibition Hall and got an opportunity to see good paintings displayed on the walls. My mind rushed to a comment that my lecturer once made a while back about paints. She said, “So, you are in exhibition. You see a canvas. Somebody has poured paint all over. You hear people say, ‘I love the theme of this paint...just look at the emotions it carries...so subtle...so nuanced. And you are there wondering: What are these people talking about? What emotions?’ Well, I felt like to act this but I stood there, looking at the paints and admiring the talents. But seriously, I have never understood paintings, especially those abstract ones. Anyway, that is a story for another day.

Outside the gallery, I met fellow young persons, a boy and two girls. When I introduced myself they exchanged knowing looks and almost in sync said, “Oooh, child of shame?” I nodded, really amused by the turn of events. I hadn’t anticipated that my poem, “Child of Shame”, would be recited and dramatised by them.

Inside the exhibition hall, the stage was set. One performance after another by Cyrus, Mwaniki and others. Then a drama of “Child of Shame”. I had never sat before a group to watch a piece written by myself. Honestly, as the Nanyuki youths gave emotions to the piece, in fact outdoing me in the process, I felt that there was no greater accolade they could accord me other than just that. Cyrus, in my considered judgment, was a vintage performance poet of the night. Mwaniki had this thing about him with his voice that gave life to his poems. I could feel the rhythm. I could feel the pulse of his words.

The two girls (I can’t really remember their names), kept me riveted, quite literally. I mean, there were so many initials and acronyms in their poems and yet they actually said them. Oh, the joys of being a youth! The guitarist for the night, Joe, impressed me with his guitar skills especially his song on the child painter (I can’t quite remember the title of the song). Inside that exhibition hall, with inspiration of paintings dotting the walls, Nanyuki’s talent that lay buried for long came to life.

Later that night, in the company of Joe, Cyrus and Matthew Owino, I felt humbled. Joe confessed to me that the mental image he had of me was of this tall, huge Asian or an old bloke. He told me that he was surprised that I was a tall, lanky fellow. I laughed about this. You see, I love the image of me as larger-than-life only to be shattered by the appearance of an ordinary-run-of-the-mill person.

On my bed that night, I thought about Nanyuki and Lily Pond Arts Centre and poetry and scattered thoughts of my domestic tourism. I wondered: What is the future of poetry and arts here in Kenya? What is the future of Lily Pond Arts Centre? What was the ambition of a Nanyuki youth? What desires fuelled his/her heart? In some curious way, I mused: Here, right at the equator, could the future of arts be defined? Could it be at the centre of the Earth, quite literally?

In all this, I remained optimistic. The Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF) Poetry Slam was one avenue in which the youths of Nanyuki would learn to appreciate their cultural diversity and life in totality. TGIF was like a flame to burn in their hearts on important issues they wanted to ventilate. Through the theme of ‘Street Life Experience’ which defined the first poetry slam in Nanyuki, my eyes were opened to the wonderful opportunities that lay for Kenyan youths. I believe strongly in letting off steam suppressed in our hearts. We have voices within us, we have conversations we want to bring to life. If shut off completely, they echo again and again and can drive us insane!