All I Gave, All I Got Poem by Shelton Chiuswa

Sweat drips from my head caressing my cheeks,
Dry lips chirped irking for a dropof salvation,
Beard greasy illuminated to its contours,
Breathe by breathe of great joy in completion of a shift,
Munching on dry crumbs of the previous day I straddle along with great conviction

Day dreaming of success in the city for my little ones,
My emeralds shining bright going toe to toes with world,
With every passing bus I pause in anticipation of their return,
Their return with great news, great stories, great discoveries of the world beyond Nyamatikiti.

Descending to my compound my wife speeds, gasping for breathe, she falls, picks herself dashing toward me.
I smiled with joyous anticipation of news of our little ones success.
Alas her anguish was as visible as day, her tears where bloody and a demeanor sorrowful.

Hot air filled my chest, an inconsolable pain invaded the core of my soul.
My knees buckled, falling, drowning in anguish, i could feel the pain of a thousand pins piercing through the pores of my skin.

The Raven came she said took the young and the weak for them never to know the trails of home ever again.
The Falcon came she said and butchered all hope and enslaved them blinding them with the carnality of the city.
The vulture came and made feast leaving just bones for the world to safeguard its tombs of many hoards.

I returned where my memories carried my little ones on my shoulders and we were merry,
Days we spent at the river fishing or in the wild looking for smelly-berry finger-leaf.
All i got left are these memories haunting me....