Hili ndilo shairi ninalolipenda zaidi. Baada ya kusikiliza shairi la Chelan Harkin , linaloitwa “Siombi tena” maneno “Siimbi kwa sauti yangu tu…” yalimwangazia kichwani mwangu kama kipigo cha umeme. Sifa katika shairi ni kama visawe saba vya Mungu, (Upendo, Akili, Nafsi, Roho, Kweli, Uzima, Kanuni) Nilijifunza katika Shule ya Jumapili, isipokuwa nilitumia sita tu.
Siimbi tena kwa sauti yangu tu.
Ninaimba kwa moyo wangu, mpenzi wangu.
Siimbi tena kwa sauti yangu tu.
Ninaimba kwa akili yangu, mawazo yangu.
Siimbi tena kwa sauti yangu tu.
Ninaimba kwa nafsi yangu, dhamiri yangu.
Siimbi tena kwa sauti yangu tu.
Ninaimba kwa roho yangu, nishati yangu.
Siimbi tena kwa sauti yangu tu.
Ninaimba kwa ukweli wangu, imani yangu.
Siimbi tena kwa sauti yangu tu.
Ninaimba na maisha yangu.
***
Moja ya mazoezi ya Klabu ya Pamoja ya Burudani ambayo ni klabu ya kimataifa ya mazingira kwa ajili ya watoto ambayo nilianzisha, ilikuwa ni kwa kila mmoja wetu kwenda kuufahamu mti na ama kuuchora au kufanya kitu cha ubunifu. Nilijua mara ya pili nilipoweka macho yangu kwenye mti huu kuwa mimi na yeye tulikuwa tumepangwa kwa kila mmoja. Jina lake ni "Pamoja." Nilimchora pia.
Pamoja
Nafsi mara kwa mara katika maisha yangu, uaminifu hauteteleki.
Faraja yake inanizunguka, kwa amani yake nahisi niko nyumbani.
Umoja wetu ni wa milele, upendo wetu, bila juhudi kabisa.
Ulinzi wake, nuru yangu gizani, joto lake, kumbatio la milele.
Umuhimu anaomiliki haufikiriki, heshima yake huwezi kufikiria.
Ananiponya kila baada ya kutengana tunateseka.
Ananionyesha jinsi ya kuwa mpole kama matawi yale yanayofikia jua.
Mwongozo wake wa kiroho hauwezi kubadilishwa, upweke wake ni mshale kwenye kifua changu.
Ana akili, zaidi ya vile unavyoweza kufikiria.
Yeye ni mkuu kwa njia yake mwenyewe.
Uhusiano wetu ulianza siku ya kwanza kabisa, katika safari ya kwenda mwezini...pamoja.

***
Hii Ndiyo. Hivi ndivyo rafiki yangu Mark Peters husema kila mara na niliamua kwamba lazima nitengeneze shairi kulingana na hilo. Mwaka jana nilitengeneza mchoro huu wake, pia. Mishale mitatu inaelekeza kwenye nukta ya mshangao kwa sababu hiyo inaisisitiza.
Hii ndio.
Sio kesho, sio jana.
Sasa.
Huu ndio wakati.
Wakati huu .
Fuata kesho wakati kesho iko tayari kuja, lakini sasa hivi ni sasa hivi.
Hii sasa.
Hii ndio.
Ukifikiria kesho, utasikitika kesho kwa sababu hukugundua kuwa HII ndiyo.
Furahiya kila harakati,
kufurahia kila dakika,
kwa sababu haitarudi tena, ndivyo ilivyo.

***
Nilikuwa nikijiunga kwenye zoom call ya kikundi cha kitabu cha mama yangu na walikuwa wakizungumza juu ya maisha na kifo. Hili ndilo nililoliondoa kutoka kwa kifo na uzima, kwa kutumia mawazo yangu.
(Haina jina)
Hata kukabiliwa na njia nyingi za kifo,
Bado una uzima moyoni mwako.
Labda kidogo tu, lakini daima iko.
Unaweza kuacha kuhisi maisha hayo,
ukimya huo,
kung'oa kumbi zilizo mbele.
Inaweza kuwa giza, labda nyepesi,
lakini maisha hayo bado yako ndani ya moyo wako.
***
Hili lilikuwa shairi nililolipenda zaidi. Hata mimi nimeikariri. Ninapenda sehemu inayohusu "Ninaacha hasira yangu ielee," kwa sababu wakati mwingine mimi hukasirika.
Ninafikiria ulimwengu juu ya walimwengu wote.
Mahali pa amani katika ndoto zangu.
Vivutio vya kupendeza vya kuona wanyama maalum, huvutia kumbukumbu zangu zote.
Hatimaye naweza kujiachia ninapozunguka kwenye miti.
Niliacha hasira yangu ielee juu ya upepo.
Ni mahali pazuri sana kuwa.
***
Kwa maongozi zaidi, jiunge na mduara maalum na mshairi mwenye umri wa miaka 8 Aston Wilder, Jumapili, Aprili 24: "Ni Mahali pazuri Sana pa Kuwa," maelezo zaidi na maelezo ya RSVP hapa.
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Thank you for sharing your poetry with the world, Afton! There is an "Institute for Poetic Medicine" in Mountain View, CA. Perhaps you know about it? It is led by a wonderful guy named John Fox. He began this work because he knew that poetry can be healing, can be a type of medicine. Your poetry is certainly healing to my soul, to my spirit! I thank you!
Afton! Thank you so much for sharing your poetry with all of us - it makes me feel more alive and less alone in the world, like all great poetry does. "This is it" is one of my all-time favorites, the way you keep reminding the reader that this moment is it, then this moment, then this one too. But tonight I was really struck by the lines, "Even faced with the many corridors of death, You still have life in your heart." And then you tell us "you can...feel that life, that silence untangling the halls ahead." What a gift you have to put words to things I didn't know were true before you wrote them!
Ah, Afton. Your poetry is beautiful, and also is a force for good in the world, I have no doubt. Every time I read a poem of yours, or listen to one being read, I get back in touch, or more in touch, with everything good I can think of, especially love. And your illustration of Together is totally fantastic!
"She heals me after every parting we suffer. "
I love this line. Friends do heal. Keep the poems coming!!
Thank you Afton for sharing your gifts with us.
Your gifts of words woven with wisdom, compassion and deep understanding.
May You feel nourished too by the energy you put out being kindly reflected back to you ♡