We were bornOn burning coalsSo standing stillWas unthinkable.We did not run for gloryBut for survival.There were no better alternativesThan our own legs to carry us to freedom.There was no need for a crowdTo cheer for us,Our own fears goaded us on.We needed no promise of a trophy,Just a way out.We were not running towards the […]
Read more "Why we ran"There are two homeless menSleeping in the doorwayFor the nightTugging at their jacketsBraving the coldLying all too comfortablyOn the cold hard floor.Just upstairsThere’s two powerful professionalsGrinding through the nightTheir faces glowing in the lightOf their MacBooksAs they plan their ascentTo even greater heights.What boggles me mostAbout inequalityIs how such astronomically distant fortunesCan co-existJust a few […]
Read more "Just downstairs"But it can be re-imaginedRepurposedRedirected to someplace higherThan selfish ambitionAnd self-preservation.Privilege is much moreThan a set of advantages,Or immunity from strugglesThat cripple others-It is a posture,A frame of mindThat keeps an individual from flinchingIn the face of authorityAnd gives respite from the disturbing calmnessOf accepting the unacceptable.Privilege, you see,Is persistent and multifacetedIt refuses to be […]
Read more "Privilege cannot be undone"The youth of the young Is a thing to be weary of As much as it is a thing To be celebrated. Weary because its not a handicap And delaying their adulthood Is a loss to us all. Celebrated Because the fruit of our labor Will be born on their trees. They are more than […]
Read more "On serving the youth"“Maybe the poor deserve their lot.And the rich their loot.A simple story about what happens in this lifeWhen you don’t make an effortAnd when you do.Maybe the chips have fallen in a wayThat need not be contended.Maybe inequality is actually fairAnd everyone should stop whining.If you look closelyYou might see that it forms a symmetrical […]
Read more "‘Maybe inequality is symmetrical’"Why is it that youth need to be ‘empowered’?Who were our parents building for all along?We have never been“The next generation” –From the moment we were bornWe had a part to play.They told us to wait and watch.We were children thenAnd now we are adultsAnd it is becoming increasingly obviousHow foolish it is to keep […]
Read more "For the youth"Post-colonial statesAre nations of miracles,With historical baggageThat is far deeperThan any one of us can unpack,And ongoing structural violenceThat seems to mutate itselfEven in the absence of an obvious perpetrator:Riddled with poverty,Overshadowed by inequalityDrowning in preventable diseaseAnd grappling a perpetual identity crisis-Post colonial statesHave enough pressureTo fully implode.And yet they don’t.They seem to find a […]
Read more "A nation of miracles"In a world of ever increasingSocial ills,The promise of entrepreneurshipGradually inflates in size and scopeUntil it becomes the only way forwardWe imagine possible.In a milieu of poor alternativesThe private businessHas become the magic bullet,The pure blade,The weapon of choiceTo slay our giantsAnd make us whole.But how can we expect businessTo solve the problems the StateHas […]
Read more "The business panacea"Is easier Than having a meaningful conversation About change. Our failures To make something significant For the least amongst us Don’t stem from a lack of resources As much as they do From a lack of intentionality. Our lack of motivation to apply Disciplined imagination To solve the social problems That plague us Nudges us […]
Read more "Throwing Money"‘Ga gona madi’ *At least not enough moneyTo do more than justPerpetuate her misery.Working for transport-What the government would call‘Employment’And what a generationKnows as quiet desperation.She wakes up early,Makes herself presentableShe leaves the house,Her shirt is now fadingAnd she can feel a hole formingAt the heel of her shoe-Maybe it can hold for another week,Either […]
Read more "Working for Transport"
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