Shimbo Pastory
This poem was published in the Writers Space Africa (WSA) Literary Magazine in October 2019
The toil of the arms-men
Over spoils of the townsmen
Make this short versed tale
Of loss, of bliss, of hell
The bells of the churchmen
And insights of the farms-men
Saw the wail of those in veil
Heard the joys of those not frail
Now done, the hands of laws-men
Dawned at the run of the raids-men
The sun has seen their toil, oh frail
Five to count in minutes, now jail
Review of ‘Five to Count’ by Kalekye Mish (Nairobi, Kenya)
Published in WSA Magazine, November 2019.
FIVE TO COUNT is a three-stanza poem with four lines in each stanza. The poem is endowed with beautiful and perfect rhyme which appeals to the reader to read and reread. In stanza one, the poem gives an insight into the dangers the police go through when dealing with crimes committed by their fellow citizens.
It also exhibits the voice of different persons in the society including the church when it comes to fighting what is wrong. The church calls forth meetings where farmers not only come to wail but also to celebrate.
With one voice, it makes things easy for police officers and lawmakers to execute their duty. The raiders are finally sentenced and jailed. This happens in a town all in five minutes. It shows how much life and activity a town set up has in every specific span of time.
