Were They? Poem by DEDAN ONYANGO

Rays of the morning sun
Touch the horizon
Announcing a new dawn

Morning dew will soon vanish
Welcoming humanity
Crystals of life will soon be witnessed
Peddling their malnourished hind limbs,
Others will not move
Lack of energy is evident in them.

Breathing will help
Though the air is polluted
The Mercedes Benz passes by.

Stomachs will soon start crumbling
Eyes will continue to weaken
The senses are giving up.
Life has to go on
These creatures of dying age
Have no excuse: but to keep on living.

The aroma of lost hope sweeps across
Old folks now children
Children now breadwinners.
With their empty bowls they sing the song of redemption:
'Saidia maskini'

The merciless sun steals the only water in them
In their cocoons
They stretch their bodies on the sun baked floor,
To kill time:
Endless tales are invented
False hope is created,
The only work they have learnt to accomplish.

But even this requires one to be energetic
They stop and sleep into the dream world.
On the other pavement
Life is up into the sky!

Feet moving
Smiles are shared across
Laughter is embraced
What a contrast?

Were they created by a lesser God?
I ask; were we meant to be street families
Forever?