Today I confess,
the outpouring of my heart is not a joke
let the truth be known,
When I travel, journeying home,
A window seat is what I crave.
I long to see the landscape along the road,
The sycamore trees, full of the wilderness,
The flowers are beautiful, the leaves are beautiful,
Heap, wheat, and barley that was in the fields.
The animals crowded in the park:
The buffalo, the elephant, the wild boar and the deer;
The wild boar, the lion, the leopard and the monkey,
When they commune,
I feel at ease.
The driver settles in the car,
And asks me, “My friend, what do you want?”
I fix my gaze on him, and respond,
“Understand me sir,
I do not look at the passengers, sitting on the side,
Nor do I look at those who wear silk, and clothes of wool.
“Sir, I have nothing else to say,
I’m losing control, I can’t see outside,
I cannot dialogue with the landscapes
I am happy to cancel, with tickets in hand,
When I travel, journeying home,
A window seat is what I crave.
Mfaume Hamisi
Popularly known as Mshairi Machinga (Poet Machinga), he is a poet and storyteller who always writes about his society widely. He was the award winner of Meya Poetry Prize 2018, also a shortlister for Safal- Cornell Kiswahili Prize 2021. He knows that the pen has power to convey messages in the society for the present and future generation. Hamisi believes poems are strong weapons and storytelling helps societies, especially children, to learn about the past and preserve traditions and customs. His book, Sinaye Baba, received positive reviews and recommendations in his country, Tanzania.
Mfaume Hamisi's voice stands for the well being and upbringing of a child.
A poem well written like a piccaso on a sculpt. Nature. Nature. Nostalgic and original. Nice
Very beautifully crafted. I love the authenticity of the voice that tells a story of the geography of the poet.
I like this poem