They Closed Hippo Old Point Poem by Job Ombati

For whatever reasons—
to renovate,
or for "it's enough for the day"—
they just pulled the doors closely tight
and clicked the padlock shut.

I am so disappointed:
not because it was
my favourite watering hole,
or weekend hide hole
from my nagging wife,
or from some irate debtor,
or some watch spot
for pretty legs
or some cosmetic bums.

I have never set foot in there,
nor had a wife—
an irate one—
or loved to watch
pretty legs,
or some pimpled face
caked in makeup plaster,
but disappointed, I am,
so disappointed.

Once I could pass here
on a Friday evening,
and the music—
titillating rhumba—
could caress my ears
and assuage my tired heart.

But now that it's closed,
there's nothing to hear,
nothing to see,
nothing to pass by.

I am so disappointed.

[Wednesday,12 August 2026: 10: 20 pm - Narok]