I Must Live A Life Poem by Simon Gitonga

I would like to take a walk in the grave yard,
In the middle of the night wearing a black overcoat,
Into the thick darkness of the silent tombs,
Where the wind is calm with no whistles,

I will carry questionnaires along,
Branded anonymous names and sealed,
I will blow the trumpet and gather the souls,
Distribute the questionnaires even to those in netherworld
Hell-bent to know how to live a life...

I will call loudly the name of William Shakespeare, to teach me the story of love,
I'll rummage looking for Mahatma Gandhi, to teach me leadership skills
I will Cry out to Bill gates, to reveal the secrets of success,
For I want to live a life...

I will wake those swallowed by poison,
Tap those who succumbed to the rope,
Ask them of routes not to take, To avoid the depression that led them to the grave...
For I want to live a life...

I must sit with the murderers, thieves and those who robbed with violence,
I must know the regrets they died with,
The guilt they carried along to the grave,
I will avoid those routes too
For I want to live a life...

I must interview everyone regardless,
The rich and the poor, the old and the young,
Right minded and the insane
I must open the graves and the coffins,
For I want to live a life

Finally,
I will gather my questionnaires and disperse the souls,
To be in my room before Morning twilight,
And study the answers of the dreams unreached, feelings unexpressed, works unfinished, ideas not exploited and life not lived
All before the dawn,
For I must live a life...

Gitonga Simon.