Lying in the seemingly endless stillness of time watching circling blades waft waves of heat around my enclosed walls. I am immovable. Geckos scurry and play on the walls with one another until food flies in sight quickly turning camaraderie into competition. Hanging nets entombed me in a translucent coffin keeping miniature vampires at a visible distance. Shards of coconut and tangled nets speak of previous conquests and a lifetime ago.
Sunrise brings breezes and relief from the eaters of the night, yet intensifies the heat as rays dig into flesh. Human life wallows in lethargy as the high sun reigns supreme. Green vegetation encroaches upon every man-made structure with strangling dreams of vengeance. Scanning the horizon of the never-ending sea, rolling foam and movement create illusions for the mind while the gentle spray from the bow glistens in delight. Salt lines and darkening skin, nature’s destruction of the flesh, chisel into the human soul etching lines of character.
***
Lying in the coolness of hard-packed, daily swept, built-up earth around me, while thatched roofing repels rays of early morning sun. I am calmed. Surrounding me an ever present ring of thorns makes for easy drying of freshly washed clothes. More than a symbol of identity my ring also provides protection. The beasts of the night almost always avoid the taking of a cow once inside the sanctuary of the circle. Community in an enclosure.
Sunrise brings miles of walking to feed my livelihood with nothing but a blanket and stick for comfort. Occasionally a transistor radio or phone play tunes to help pass the time and provide companionship, however, time wears both down into ineffectiveness. Isolated, yet never alone, the red dust constantly keeps my companionship along with the herd.
***
Lying in an eclectic mix of concrete, plastic, artificial wood, and steel the beeping of an alarm calls me to action. I am lethargic. Black softens to light showing right angles and inventiveness. Once out of my protective sanctuary I know I will face a myriad of assaults upon my senses. Until then the rituals of the morning bring caffeinated comfort and calmness. Where the slum meets the high rise while the zebra stands and cries. Power and possessions give off the illusions of comfort and status.
Sunrise brings polluted emissions ambushing my nostrils while voices, engines, and hoots hit my hearing. Aggressive movements and whirling colors are part of the landscape giving me just cause for constant vigilance. Fashion forward phrases, billboards, and signs show off the latest ideology and possibilities. Hurrying while waiting I find myself absorbed by masses of people all with interconnected destinations.
***
The land my children call home is blessed with contrasting cultures and an abundance of potential. A home where the red dust meets the white glaciers. A home where blue waters wash against green vegetation. The Rift Valley cuts the land in half providing contrast from the Great Lakes and Savannah. Mountains stand as monuments of time from the first steps to the present. It is a land where the animal and human kingdoms coexist to provide a rich colorful array of intricate life. The colors of home are more than visual aesthetics to a rich historical land. They are a unifying identity. The black over red over green of KANU, and all held together by white. I am a child of Kenya.
nehrely there 