By Nyana Kakoma | February 17th, 2015

Sunset over water by Darlyne

You ask me what you mean to me

Day after day,oh so patronizingly!

I just never have the right words…

And when I do,

It’s the wrong perspective.

Magical times when I have both,

It’s the courage I lack.

But still you poke

Still you insist

Completely oblivious of these facts

Forging on relentlessly

Trying to find a place in my life

A habitat in my mind

…shelter in my heart

 

Still you have no idea!

Still you’re clueless!

That your very presence

Is enough to keep me centered.

It’s the one thing that still makes sense

Out of all this pandemonium and madness

This mangled, bubbling, heaped mess

That I call my life;

Concrete proof that my sanity’s intact

While you’re driving me insane;

That’s you.

 

The constant reminder that I’m a mortal;

That even though I act like it at times,

I’m not supernatural;

That’s you.

My emotional garbage-collector

Who never asks for payment

But keeps doing his job loyally

Lovingly,willingly

Never complaining

Always collecting…

That’s you.

 

The one person that waits for me

To come around

With patience that even Job would admire

That’s you.

Yet you have it,

Every ounce of patience you require

To unwrap me… to watch me unravel

Layer by thickening layer

And still be waiting

To piece me back together

After I’ve fallen apart and crumbled

That’s you.

 

You’re the only star I see in all the constellations

Constantly mirroring the sun’s reflections

The simplicities in my life…

That’s you;

Melting chocolate on my tongue

That’s you

My pink skies, my grey skies, my blue skies

That’s you

The John Legend song I can’t get out of my head

That stupid rom-com I can’t stop thinking about

That’s all you.

 

You’re my universe…my everything

Yet you aren’t my anything

You’re the opportunity that won’t last forever

The something that I should make my something

Rid myself of the what ifs and the maybes…

That’s what you are

That’s what you mean to me.

 

But please don’t ask me again.

This was hard.

 

This poem was written by Angwech Faith Kirabo Wacha, a student of Nabisunsa Girls School and a member of the Rhymers Poetry Club.  At 18, her work is popular amongst her peers and some schools already use her work in their syllabi. She wrote this poem during her Senior Four vacation. 

#SoooManyLanterns is our collaboration with The Lantern Meet Of Poets where we publish poems by students that the Meet has inspired and trained. Read more about The Lantern Meet’s schools outreach programme here: #SoooManyLanterns: A Lantern Meet of Poets and Sooo Many Stories collaboration

Comments:

  1. […] Now this poem will remind of high-school love and you will want to relive those moments. In this poem, the persona confesses her for a guy who has been pressing her and asking her what she means to him. You will be reminded of those lines you used in high-school to ‘vibe’ innocent daughters of Eve. Those lines like, you are the constant reminder that I am a mortal even though I act supernatural, you’re my emotional garbage collector that does his job loyally, and you are the melting chocolate on my tongue. However, the best is saved for the last when the persona (the lady) asks the guy never to press her again concerning this matter claiming that “this was really hard.” This poem was written by Angwech Faith Wacha was performed by Abenawe Celia. Read the original poem here […]

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