Puzzled Nappier Poem by Nyagaka Charles

I grew up-right from the soil,
Never thought how to crawl,
I had to stand upright not to fall,
It has been an experience living all this while.


I saw it good to have a thorny coat for protection,
Even had my blades sharpened in preparation,
Foolish coz in his hard hand and machete I was overthrown,
Began to regret why I had ever grown green.


Hardly sunrise and he was here,
Armed with a sword intended to clear,
I wouldn’t run ‘cause I was rooted there,
Neither could I fight alone as I lacked the spear,
And my brother was too sleepy to hear.

My protection sheath ended up as a delicacy,
For his cow the coward slaughtered me minus mercy,
Then the ungrateful bagger traded the milk for beer,
For liquor he killed me without fear,
And that’s what I can’t understand why,
If he'd drunk the milk, I won’t cry.