The Plan Poem by edwin smich

After a day hustle and bustle
I call it quits
With ‘with the papers’
I have nothing
Leave alone that one of a murram road sweeper
I enter my brother’s house
And in my bed I sit
That sofa is also my bed
Turn on that box
My brother’s TV

Suddenly the job man appears
His public address system is in place
He press releases
An ambitious plan
And calls it ‘kazi kwa vijana’
Look how he vocalises
An angel come to earth
He is moving, the speech
Sorry, the plan is moving
I move near the screen
Very attractive the plan is.

He finishes his address
“With high esteem
And with much desiration
This program will be launched
Next week. We hope 500000
Youths will benefit
God bless you
God bless Kenya”

Hopes revived
I now set myself for the grand-date
An application I send
My letter would not be received
That ‘small thing” had not been given
My whole life depends on this
I convince my brother
Gives me 2000
I hand them-Application received

Finally the day is here
Like plane, I fly
Leaving my brother and his family
A family of four going almost hungry
Their prayer-you shall secure a job
Destination-the breath-taking launch
On my natural shoe
I foot
A twenty kilometre trek

There I arrive
A multitude of youths waiting
Eagerly waiting for the start
There the man announces the start
It is spade and hoe business
200 Kenya shillngs after the whole work
What about the ‘paper