08 Friday Dec 2017
Posted in African Women Writers, Afriku, Challenges, Haiku, Haiku My Heart, Micropoetry, Nature, Poetry
(linked to Recuerda Mi Corazon.)
Tales
by the fireside
my grandmother stirs the night
with tales
Failed Haiku November 2017
© Celestine Nudanu 08/12/17Links for Haiku Rhapsodies:
22 Wednesday Nov 2017
Posted in Africa Reading Challenge, Challenges, Micropoetry, Poetry, Romance
Today, Rajani wants us to try the Ghazal, a lyrical, challenging and utterly beautiful when it comes out right. The repeating end word and rhyming word of each couplet define the cadence of the ghazal and direct its mood. (The rhyming word appears twice in the first couplet) Originally an Arabic verse form dealing with loss and romantic love, medieval Persian poets embraced the ghazal, eventually making it their own. Consisting of syntactically and grammatically complete couplets, the form also has an intricate rhyme scheme. Well, it is a challenge right?
Morning
how serene you are this morning
your talc permeates my morning
your laughter-dimpled cheeks deflate
its contents to darken my dream morning
but I drink in your song
bidding me good night in the morning
how serene you look this morning of death
your pain my sorrow morning
my baby, my love, sing me your song of release
andante, andante, to wake up my morning
(Well, I tried. 🙂 )
© Celestine Nudanu 22/11/17Links for Haiku Rhapsodies:
06 Friday Oct 2017
Posted in African Women Writers, Afriku, Challenges, Haiku, Haiku My Heart, Micropoetry, Poetry
(linked to Recuerda Mi Corazon.)
Communal love
communal love
I sip a bowl of soup
with the moon
Failed Haiku ( A Journal of English Senryu – October 2017)
11 Friday Dec 2015
Posted in Afriku, Carpe Diem, Challenges, Choka, Haiku, Poetry
Tags
Africa, Christian charity, Christmas, Family, Giving, injustice, MP, Politics, Poverty, relationship, wealth
Done for for Carpe Diem, (Georgia’s Special 2nd Days of Christmas – Choka) and for Haiku My Heart.
Days of Christmas
5-7 5-7 5-7 5-7-7
image of my child
salivates at nothingness
this drives me crazy
to put more energy in
fanning the fire
that will cook only water
to bathe off the grime
from scavenging on the heap
behind the MP’s mansion
it is Christmas eve
I can hear the chiming bells
Armageddon Church
last year the priest fed the kids
and winked at my girl
It is a no go this year
church charity stinks
but dare I reserve some pride
charity has lots of face
3
the Harmattan breeze
biting, burned and cracked my skin
charcoal a fiery red
The water now at a boil
waiting for the kids
to return to nothingness
now, what will they bring?
Freshly baked cakes, brown as earth,
bottles of coca-cola
with no expiry date or
stale crackers from yesteryear
moldy leg of a chicken
dry as the hag I’ve become?
Or my brand of emptiness?
4
Mama! There she is
dark skin glowing, defying
the harsh Harmattan
mockery of perfect skins.
her teeth flashed in smile
I swear the gleam in her eyes
made the Christmas lights
in the MP’s mansion pale.
now, she is me all over
(envoy or tanka)
she raise tiny hands
then I see the envelope!
ah, Harmattan breeze
her long tresses billowing
my husband’s gift waves at me
25 Tuesday Aug 2015
Posted in Afriku, Carpe Diem, Challenges, Haiku, Poetry
Done for Carpe Diem. Inspired by modern times haiku Poet Jerry Kilbride (1930-2005) A biography of his life can be found here. “Bulletin”of the Californian State Library Foundation (Number 84 – 2006 pages 17-22)
still in the taste of
afternoon tea…..
my grandmother’s brogue
© Jerry Kilbride
Medicine
still in the taste of
medicine
grandma’s chicken soup
21 Thursday Aug 2014
Anytime I read posts where bloggers question the purpose of what they do I just smile and shake my head not really getting what they mean. I guess I’ve been hit too. Apart from the fact that I’m much more busy at work, I find that there’s little joy in what I’m doing on the blog these days. Please do not get me wrong, I get excited when my work is praised and I do try to make time to visit, comment and appreciate or like posts from bloggers. But is that all there is to it? Am I missing something? Am I doing it right? I’m afraid I’m loosing it all.
Maybe I need a break. I don’t know. My well-meaning blogger friends have been urging me to publish, poems or stories. Whatever! Even as my first draft of my work-in-progress is nearing completion, I still am not excited. I’ve done quite a number of book reviews both on my bog and on amazon upon request. But I ask ‘who will be interested in this jazz?’ (as we say here).
I know I ought to break and take time off the blogosphere to re-charge. If I had enough money I would just pack my bags and head off alone to a luxurious hotel here, or maybe outside, for about one month and chill. I will remain incommunicado for the whole period. 🙂 Alas! So my dear friends, pardon me if I don’t visit your blogs as often as I should.
On the brighter side, my aunt who lives with her husband in Kenya visited home this month. She wants to set up a business over here, selling Kenyan jewellery and accessories. I think it’s a great idea since we’ve been hooked on authentic African stuff for some time now as a people. I believe it’s all part of the ‘sankofa‘ or ‘go back and take’ or ‘go back to your roots‘ rediscovery agenda. 🙂
According to my aunt Veronica, I could check the internet for authentic Kenyan custom jewelry for verification. Apparently they are in high demand even here. People post free ads in Kenya all the time so this should not be a problem. . Now she wants me to help her with this since she believes I might have some connections (erroneously I might add) but who wants to burst her bubble? I will do the best I can when she is ready. There’s some excitement bubbling in me at the thought of this fine venture and my expectations.
03 Wednesday Jul 2013
Posted in Challenges, Haiku, Poetry
Carpe Diem Prompt: Affection.
Every morning, before my sons depart for school they kiss me goodbye. No matter how stressed I am or how much I yell at them to hurry up, while their father honks the horn in irritation, they never forget to place tiny lips against my cheeks 🙂 It is a routine that gives me much joy and pride 🙂
Affection
warm lips against cheeks
as the boys breeze out for school
my cup runs over
Copyright © Celestine Nudanu 3/07/13I appreciate your patience with me as I catch up on your blogs. Thanks a million! Shalom
27 Sunday Jan 2013
Posted in Challenges, Stones
Day 27 of Mindful Writing Challenge. My 24th stone.
Family Steam
Father and son, Trade steam over Maths homework None ready to yield Copyright © Celestine Nudanu 27/1/1312 Saturday Jan 2013
Posted in Challenges, Stones
Tags
Day 12 of the Mindful Writing Challenge. My 11th Small Stone:
Boys-Boys
Pop and the boys stay up late
To keep me company as I scribe away
But really, they are watching a film
Action-packed, what else? The title escapes me
A Boys-Boys affair
Copyright © Celestine Nudanu 12/1/13+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I appreciate your patience with me as I catch up on your blogs. Thanks a million! Shalom
