Poetic Haibun

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Poetic Haibun

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Explanation

At the Ninth Kukai of the Haiku Clubs of Nairobi, on 30 October 2010 at the Children’s Traffic Park, two members of the “Bamboochas”, the Bahati Haiku Poetry Club, gave a presentation which tried out something new. This presentation consisted of free verse by Beryl Achieng’ lamenting the current building spree and the disregard for nature being subjugated for the sake of new housing, contrasted with haiku observations by James Bundi.


Kukai at the Children’s Traffic Park
Photo © David Kimani Mwangi


We wondered what to call this new form of poetry, and decided on the name “poetic haibun”.

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Construction and Development

In the developing times,
trees and natural resources at stake!
Caterpillars and bulldozers at work,
motion day and night to construct
new apartments on the virgin land.
Where is our nature?

cracked tarmac --
the weight of the old
excavator

The dust and ash inhaled
all in the name of money making!
What is the cost of nature
compared to rental expenditure?
We need a change for a living!

yawning --
the dusty air enters
my throat

Dumping sites full of withered flowers,
roots and logs of the uprooted trees.
No beauty, no fresh air,
no shade from trees,
our natural resources at stake!

bare roots --
the withered flower
falls off

We are sorry Mother Nature,
we promise to maintain you
in the best way we can -- even
if it is by writing haiku
to register our complaints.



free verse : Beryl Achieng
haiku : James Bundi


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We should like to hear your views on this. To me, the free verse reads very Kenyan, very passionate, very committed. The haiku, on the other hand, read like haiku, calm and observant without being judgmental. We may have discovered a very Kenyan form of presenting haiku to an audience!

This is something we shall need to work on, as Kenya Saijiki progresses. Culture, in Kenya, is now written and studied -- but in public fora, it is oral and very popular indeed. If haiku is to win its place in mainstream cultural events in Kenya, it will have to gain an oral form in which it can be presented to a large public audience, where it might be in competition with other performances such as dance, song, drama and long poems. Some form of haibun is most likely to provide the answer.

We shall be interested to read your views.
Congratulations, Beryl and James, for having taken us to new ground in haiku presentation!

Isabelle Prondzynski

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Short biographies


Beryl Achieng’

My name is Beryl Achieng', aged 18 years, born on 29 May 1992. I am the chairperson of the Bamboochas Haiku Club from Bahati Secondary School in Kayole, Nairobi (Kenya). I joined the haiku club in the year 2007, after which our Sensei Mr. Patrick Wafula introduced us to haiku, and he has ever since been guiding us in our writing.

My inspiration for writing haiku comes from nature.

The poem "Construction and Development" was about the current situation in Kenya. It was the result of the current developments that have led to construction of many roads and apartment blocks in our area.


Beryl Achieng’
Photo © Caleb Mutua


. . . . .

James Bundi

My name is James Bundi, the co-ordinator of the Bamboochas Haiku Club of Bahati Secondary School in Kayole. I joined the haiku club in the year 2008. This is due to the fact that it opened a vast field to expose what I think I have in me; being creative and observant.

The latest issue was about Construction and Development. I got a push to write about this issue due to the harm made to flowers and trees in our neighbourhood to pave way for construction of apartments. I shared the idea with Beryl Achieng' who took the task of creating a poem while I wrote the haiku that appeared in between the poem's stanzas.

We did the editing together and this gave rise to the presentation, which became a haibun.


James Bundi
Photo © Caleb Mutua


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Reactions

May I join Isabelle in her praise of this work of art !
And haiku in combination with other art forms is indeed a great way to voice our complaints!
More of it please !!
Gabi

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That is a very beautiful and poetic indeed, and what a powerful writing! Poignant and passionate, and simply stunning peace of haikai. Bravo!
Thank you, Gabi san, for sharing this haibun with us.
Origa
http://origa.livejournal.com

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Indeed, Origa.
And I have to say, that I like the Kenyan way very much. In a similar way Arab do so too, which I like. It is working with striking colours. As a story writer I see a line floating up and down - tension and relaxation.
After passionate text or tension follow haiku helping to unwind and to deepen the prose.
Congratulations!
--Heike

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Great. Haibun that goes with commitment to a noble cause. good idea.
kenneth daniels (Guyana)


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. Traffic Park Kukai
October 30, 2010 　


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SOWETO VILLAGE

From the tiny pieces of paper,
to the vegetable peelings
and now a heap of dirt,
filthy and with unpleasant smell.
We need to breathe again!

filthy smell--
the increasing heap of
kitchen dumps

Everywhere we go it's dirt!
Bad smell from burst sewers
is not an exception;
each day a sewer flows
through paths and pavements.
We need to breathe again!

burst sewerage--
stepping on stones to
cross the road

Our environs are insured,
but how is it our health
disintegrates and dissociates?
Mend drainage systems, recycle
and reuse for a healthy life.
We need to breathe again!

whirling wind--
the tree seedlings are covered
by dirty papers
Januaray 2011





Kenya plastic bags on a tree : Environmental awareness at the 2010 Orchid Show, Sarit Centre Nairobi
Photo © Isabelle Prondzynski

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. Soweto Stage Market, Nairobi 　


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More Poetic Haibun

. DUST! MY NAME. by James Bundi 　


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Patrons Kukai August 2017

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Patrons' Kukai August 2017

***** Location: Greenspan Mall, Kayole, Kenya
***** Season: Cold dry season

Explanation
On 19 August 2017, the Patrons (Patrick Wafula, Andrew Otinga, Paul Kanga and Jackson Siva) of the four schools participating in Kenya Saijiki met together with the Moderator (Isabelle Prondzynski) in the Java House Café in Greenspan Mall, Kayole, Nairobi. The objective was to discuss the progress of haiku in their respective schools and to exchange ideas. The just concluded General Election was also raised.

1.
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An inter club meeting is planned for September, and will take place at the invitation of the Beavers in their school. It is expected that 123 haijin will travel from the other schools to participate in the meeting. Computer certificates will be presented on this occasion. Patrons to co-ordinate with Mr Kimani so that this can be done at the agreed date.

2.
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Dates for the 2018 kukai were decided upon as follows :

24 February 2018. Patrick Wafula will report on possible venues at the next Patrons' meeting in November or December.

29 September 2018. Kenkyo na Kokoro will host this kukai.

3.
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Ideas for Kenya Saijiki :

~ Isabelle regularly to send the haiku clubs one haiku for their comments and appreciation, and one haiku to be revised and improved.

~ Isabelle to set themes on which the haiku clubs should research and report in time for the February kukai, the result of their research and the accompanying haiku written by themselves to be presented at the kukai. Each haiku club and the Patrons received a topic for research :

Patrons to focus on the jacaranda tree and blossom
Bamboochas to focus on Advent and Christmas Eve
Parrots to focus on Christmas Day
Beavers to focus on New Year's Day
Kenkyo na kokoro to focus on the First Things of the new year

~ Haiku clubs to make use of haiga (pictures combined with haiku) or haibun (narrative combined with haiku) -- each haiku club to prepare its report in the form of a haiga or haibun for the February kukai.

~ Rewards for haiku consistency and quality to be presented by Isabelle at kukai meetings.

4.
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We enjoyed a ginkoo in the Greenspan Mall compound and shared the haiku we had written. These follow below.


. . . CLICK here for the Photo by Isabelle Prondzynski !


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- - - - - HAIKU - - - - -

my dusty shoes
on the clean pavement --
Greenspan Mall

Java House window --
a human face in the sun
stares at me

. . . CLICK here for the Photo by Isabelle Prondzynski !

Java House lounge --
a palm tree trembling
in the morning breeze

sparkling dew
in a canna lily's bud --
bright sun

ferns peeping
from a bamboo hedge --
Java House

the soft rustle
of a bamboo hedge --
gentle breeze

scorching sun --
star grass in Greenspan
has turned brown

green algae grown
on stagnant water --
metal tap

a bud, an onion
or a bean in the froth --
cappuccino

~ Patrick Wafula

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. . . CLICK here for the Photo by Isabelle Prondzynski !


afternoon breeze --
red canna lily blossoms
tremble and tremble

a can top hanging
in the bamboo hedge --
Greenspan Mall

a black ant emerges
out of a red soil heap -
children's fun park

a bee lands
on red canna lily blossoms --
fun park terrace

oxalis leaves
sway in the afternoon wind --
Java Garden

fun park entrance --
green algae covering
an artificial swamp

~ Andrew Otinga

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canna lilies
shake in the afternoon breeze --
Greenspan Mall

canna lilies --
I count seven budding stalks
at Greenspan Mall

oxalis
grown under a palm tree --
Greenspan Mall

Greenspan garden --
three patrons staring
at macdonald's eye

green algae
cover an artificial swamp --
Greenspan Mall entrance

~ Paul Kanga

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at Greenspan Mall --
three young girls jumping
on a bouncing castle

at Java House Café --
a kitten hiding
in a flower bed

at Java field --
a black wasp
flying in couch grass

at java field --
a mother on the pavement
scrolling her phone

at Greenspan Mall --
four white cars parked
on the playground

strolling on the pavement --
a mother with a baby
strapped to her back

~ Jackson Siva

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Greenspan Mall --
a slight breeze ripples
the little pond

Greenspan Mall --
water toys drifting
in the little pond

lazy Saturday --
a tall merry-go-round
stays idle

. . . CLICK here for the Photo by Isabelle Prondzynski !

Greenspan Mall --
a toy car is parked
in the last fee space

Greenspan Mall --
coloured traffic cones mark out
a parking space

. . . CLICK here for the Photo by Isabelle Prondzynski !


days of drought --
tall water tanks guard
precious supplies

seeking the shade --
a shopping mall entrance
provides some cool

~ Isabelle Prondzynski


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Glossary

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Glossary of Kenyan Terms and Topics


bob -- shillings, money

githeri -- a staple food made from maize and beans

jiko -- a brazier used for cooking or heating and fuelled with charcoal, firewood or kerosene

lesso -- same as kanga
-- a rectangular cotton cloth with colourful prints and Swahili proverbs, worn as a skirt, as a turban,


Kayole -- an Eastern suburb of Nairobi

kiondo -- a sisal basket woven by women -- plural : vyondo

mabati -- corrugated iron sheets for building houses or roofing them

mandazi, mandazis -- a kind of doughnut

matatu -- a public transport minibus


mkokoteni, a hand cart pl. mikokoteni

muthokoi -- the delicious Kamba staple food

mzungu -- a white person

Nairobi -- the capital of Kenya

ndizi -- banana

ndubia -- tea with milk but no sugar


posho mill, poshomill -- for wheat and maize


shamba -- vegetable garden

Soweto -- a slum area within Kayole

Sufuria -- cooking pot or sauce

sukuma wiki, sukumawiki -- "stretching out the week"
leafy cabbage-like vegetable


tilapia -- a fish from lake Victoria
turungi -- "tru tea" : tea with neither milk nor sugar

ugali -- a staple food, solid porridge made from maize flour

uji -- a liquid porridge made from maize or millet flour


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Reference

***** KIGO : Season Words of Kenya

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Demolitions

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Demolitions in Patanisho

***** Location: Kayole, Nairobi (Kenya)
***** Season: Non-seasonal Haiku Topic
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation

In the night from 23 to 24 November 2006, the houses that bordered Jacaranda and Patanisho in Kayole were demolished, leaving hundreds of families homeless.

The land where these demolitions took place, has an interesting and chequered history. Taken from the local people by the British colonialists; sold by them before Independence (1963) to a group of Kiambu Dandora Farmers; one smaller section hived off and allocated to a prominent businessman politician; fought over by the farmers, the politician’s widow and a further politician from a different party; finally grabbed by a gang of youths and sold by them to innocent and rather less innocent outsiders -- there is sufficient stuff here for a full-length novel.

The politician’s widow eventually went to court and won her case. She started to develop the empty section of her land, but wanted access also to those other parts which had been occupied and sold off by the gang. After giving the residents notice four times unsuccessfully, she asked for help from the forces of law and order.

It is thus that the police and the bulldozers arrived in the night of 23 October 2006, ordering people leave the houses immediately, and starting to demolish the structures on the land in question. The gangs turned up very soon, and they were armed. A fierce battle ensued, and one of the policemen was shot and severely injured and taken to Kenyatta National Hospital.


Photo : Patrick Wafula

The people who lost their houses include some of the young gang members and grabbers, and some of the cheated buyers, who had purchased the land innocently (but had failed to insist on title deeds). All of them suffered in the demolitions, particularly as a result of the violence caused by the gang members, and some of them suffered severe financial loss.

At the end of the story, the rule of law has prevailed, but at a cost. If it makes their business more difficult for the gang members and land grabbers, some of the price may have been worth paying... However, as the haibun and haiku below will show, innocent people suffered, and those who saw them were moved to write down their observations and their words of sympathy.

Isabelle Prondzynski.

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HAIBUN

It was on Thursday night and all was quiet. The frogs were singing their last chorus and gave humanity a chance to enjoy the rest of the night. Suddenly after midnight :

bullets crack -
the night withers
dreams disappear

Only the families that were being affected knew what was happening. For the rest of us :

fear of unknown
with soundless prayers
lay trembling

As I woke up in the morning, hoping to find the fruits of the more than four hours of gunshot, I was amazed just to see men in blue (the police) and two bulldozers. As I watched the act of the machine,

the fork went up
the houses come down
tears for breakfast

This reminded me of fifteens years ago, when living in Kangemi,

fifteen years
the ghost still alive
making desolate

when our homes were demolished. The unfolding of the painful experience made tears to flow down my eyes and so were those of everybody else around me who imagined what was about to become a painful experience.

tears water --
the muddy green land
curses all over

Kiambu is the famous name given to the particular area that was demolished (it is very different from Kiambu district). This took place after one tycoon’s widow won the case over the land dispute and now she wants to put up housing estates. Young men and women from Soweto slums had occupied some of the land.

As I write this report, the former occupants have being told to clear up, before all that is within the zone is declared as belonging to the private developer. I hope I have shed some light on the whole issue. On behalf of our parents, brothers and sisters that were affected I say thanks for your concern and prayers.

© Antony Njoroge, 2006

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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

pick-ups full of
house-holds leave Patanisho...
new refugees

bulldozers pile
rubble onto lorries...
desperate screams

mothers and children
drenched in downpour...
houses gone

fires in the open
as mothers prepare supper...
cries of hungry children

ruthless policemen
shoot in the air...
fleeing residents

on the roadside,
refugees sit with luggage...
helplessness


Photo : Patrick Wafula

a woman screams,
trying to stop the bulldozer...
police drag her away

Patrick Wafula

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tearful eyes ..
houses demolished
leaving many homeless

Duncan (Butterfly Haiku Club)

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houses and property
destroyed by bulldozers...
houseless tenants

Jasper Ratemo (Butterfly Haiku Club)

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people crying
their building is brought down
people crowded

building down
as men hit the walls
stones everywhere

Adelaide Luvandale

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Related words

***** Jamhuri Day

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THE KENYA SAIJIKI
Please send your contributions to
Gabi Greve / Isabelle Prondzynski
worldkigo .....

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LORNA Haiku Club

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The FALCONS Haiku Club


The Lorna Waddington High School Haiku Club!

LORNA Haiku Club Records

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KIGO: THE LONG RAIN SEASON

A student-
Walking down a Soweto Street
His shoes squelching in mud

Outside our house-
Chicken peck grasshoppers
In the green grass

The white pelicans
Striding among cattle
In green pastures yonder

At Marikiti-
Trucks loaded with mangoes
Queue to offload

In the village-
Outside our mud house
Children play mtereso

*mtereso* a children’s game of sliding over mud.





At Soweto Market-
Crowds mill around
Buying fruits and veges

*veges* short for vegetables





A woman-
Looking very happy
Bites a juicy pear




Happy-looking women
Selling fresh pears
In market stalls



Happy-looking farmers
Delivering milk at KCC
Money is not a problem

*KCC* Kenya Co-operative Creameries.



Pastoralists smile-
Green pastures all over
Their livestock increase

Soiled farmers-
Planting maize and beans
Tired faces

A dark carpet
Covering the sky all day
Umbrellas vanish from shops

Happy-looking shopkeepers
Umbrellas and omo
Disappear from shops

*omo* A detergent.

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Collection from July 2006

in their torn shoes
the people walk chock chock--
rainfall
Catherine Muhonja


roads get flooded
and cars get stuck---
rainfall
Paul Musyoka


a vehicle is stuck
on the muddy Soweto road--
rainfall
Susan Wajau


a dashing car splashes
water on a lady in white
along the road
Rose Wanjiru Maina


helpless ants
struggling in a puddle--
rainfall
Joshua Luvinzu


rainy season
brings stagnant water---
mosquitoes buzz around
Kadima Zipporah


Kayole River--
flows in its curvy way
taking garbage away
Lilian Kiyaka


the rain falls--
Nairobi hawkers
have no job
Everlyne Ngang'a


a lot of mosquitoes
spreading malaria--
the rain
Ouko Hellen


mosquitoes multiply
and people rush for nets--
rainfall
Boniface Mutua


my child is drowning--
a woman screams loudly
from the riverbank
Domitillar Mutheu


Gikomba Market
is flooded and muddy--
hawkers hold their goods
Indombo Carolyne


flooded markets--
and hawkers carry
goods in hand
Ashraf Baraza


muddy Soweto streets--
villagers wearing boots
walk up and down
Jacklyne Aoko


cars dashing
on busy Valley Road
splash water on people
Erastus Mella


Baba Shiro is confounded
as his car is stuck in quagmire--
Shiro is sleepless
Patrick Gakuo

Note : Baba Shiro : Shiro's father


Wanjiku struggles
to trap water from their roof--
raining in Soweto
Hudson Mukanzi

Note : Wanjiku is a woman's name. Wanjiku also represents THE ordinary Kenyan citizen


muddy splashes
on people's clothes--
much washing
Mary Nabwire


moving cars
splash water on the road--
fuming pedestrians
Seline Aluoch


a frog jumping
across my feet as I draw
water from the river
Rebecca Akinyi


clouds become darker
and a spattering on the roofs--
the rainbow
Victor Amboko


shoes become
too heavy to lift--
rainfall in Soweto
Lilian Awino


a drunkard drowns
in flooded Kayole River--
burial rites
Billy Omalla


children slip and fall
mothers have plenty to wash--
omo
Irene Adisa


a black ant
drowned in a puddle--
this rain
Hillary Mbiti


a crawling baby
splashes her hand in a puddle--
mother concerned
Risper Kwamboka


children play in puddles
dirtifying themselves--
screaming mothers
Beatrice Anyango


a throng of children--
watching a chick drowned
in a puddle
Kamau M. Mathew


stagnant water--
frogs crock korrr korrr
all night
Johnson Mwangi


the rain causes
our vehicle to get stuck--
my mother is angry
Nyambura Serah


lightning strikes
as the silvery drops fall--
John caries his umbrella
Timothy


umbrella over my head
as I go to the market--
this rain
Timothy


a black ant--
drowned in water
in a basin
Beatrice Wangari


Muli's house is flooded
as it rains in Soweto--
shouts of help
Ian Kamau


my feet slide
in mud on Soweto streets--
rain
John Mutahi

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Meeting of the Haiku Clubs of Nairobi
November 2006

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Related words

***** Bahati Haiku Club, Nairobi


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Grasses and Weeds

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Grasses

***** Location: Kenya
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

Young grass that comes soon after the long rains, makes goats, cattle and sheep diarrhea because of its low roughage content. Weaver birds use fresh grass to build nests and certain birds only nest in grass such as papyrus, so they only come around when this grass has grown.

Patrick Wafula

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topic for haiku


Napier grass
Pennisetum purpureum (Napier Grass, Elephant Grass or Uganda Grass)
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !
nappier grass

Napier grass is abundant during the long rain season, but it is also available in small quantities, having been spared to cater for the scarcity of fodder during the dry season.

Napier grass has a seasonality: in rural areas, it is inter-cropped with subsistence crops, but it is mostly planted on terraces where it also helps curb soil erosion.

In the urban centres, the grass grows spontaneously along riverbanks or unfarmed fields. It is available in Nairobi along the Ngong River bank that passes just outside Bahati Community Centre Secondary School.

Patrick Wafula



monday evening--
a cow browsing on
dry Nappier grass

Violet Wangira



napier grass-
the eaten portion of
a leaf

Elijah Juma

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kigo for both rainy seasons

young grass
fresh grass
green grass


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kigo for hot and dry season


couch grass
Elytrigia repens (Couch Grass; syn. Triticum repens L., Agropyron repens (L.) P. Beauv., Elymus repens (L.) Digitaria scalarum
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !



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papyrus
Cyperus papyrus (papyrus sedge or paper reed)
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !

related kigo

Papyrus reeds being picked and used

I think that papyrus reeds are a perfect kigo for the rainy season. during this season the reeds flourish especially in stagnant pools and swampy zones.It is during this season that they emerge and when its hot they dry up to golden yellow colour and are plucked for different uses like basketry and making of chairs. Children also use them in their plays.
hussein haji


BUT

Papyrus reeds growing -- kigo for the rainy seasons



flowery papyrus grass —
the cracked soil of the burst
sewage path

January sun -
papyrus weed blooms
turning brown green

Patrick Wafula



shaking papyrus -
a little grebe dives
into the marsh

Andrew Otinga


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red oat grass or red grass
Themeda triandra
. . . More in the WIKIPEDIA !



star grass, African star grass
There are various kinds see
. . . More in the WIKIPEDIA !



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kigo for the dry seasons

weeds

I have also observed that weeds grow along with the crops, and therefore the start of the dry season is also a good time for weeds to grow in the shambas.
So, I think that the weeds are kigo and can be used for the beginning of the two dry seasons.


Bidens pilosa, Couch grass, Star grass and Napier grass
all these grasses are kigo for the middle of the rainy seasons into the start of the dry seasons; then they dry up (unless watered) and do not grow again until there has been a period of rainfall.

source : Isabelle Prondzynski



Here are some of the most common weeds for both the dry and wet season:
by Patrick Wafula

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black jack: bidens pilosa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidens_pilosa


Bidens pilosa is definitely a weed, and a very undesirable one. I believe it should be a kigo for the season when it produces its clingy seeds -- probably throughout the two dry seasons.
Isabelle Sensei


The common name for Biden's Pilosa is Black Jack.
I agree with Isabelle sensei about the undesirability of the weed and the season it is most rampant. It comes along with crops during both the short and long rain seasons and grows rapidly and in plenty such that if it is not weeded it chokes the crops such as maize, beans, potatoes, etc, of nutrients.

It is known as 'makowe' among the Luhya of western Kenya. When it is mature, its seeds have spikes that enable it to stick to clothes of anyone who comes in contact with them; this is the weed's natural way of spreading or dispersing its seeds!
Patrick Wafula


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couch grass
Couch grass is somewhere half-way between a weed and a useful plant.
Quecke in German



datura stramonium or chinese lantern

devil's horse whip
Achyranthes aspera


dayflower, weed of the rainy season
It is eaten as a vegetable in some parts of Kenya.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commelina




MacDonald's Eye Macdonald eye
gallant soldier
Gallinsoga parviflora



mexican marigold
It is locally known as 'begu rahisi' (Luhya) or 'maua madongo' (Luo). It has so many uses in the Kenyan community. One of its uses is the hedge; it is planted around gardens or shambas to enclose and mark bounderies. The other use is herbal; but it has one amazing using known to very few Africans: when mixed with sisal leaves juice and pepper and certain other locally known herbs, it is used to catch fish in shallow streams during the dry season. Boys in the rural do this by dipping large amounts of this concoction and squeezing its juice out upstream and then walking down stream for about 200 metres or so to catch very drunk, floating fish. But after about 2 hours, the fish becomes sober again and disappears under water! The most difficult fish to be 'drugged' is the eel. Even if it gets drugged, it remains very slippery and does not easily float downstream, but you can find it lying tipsily in mud close to the bank...
Read more here on the mexican marigold in the Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_marigold



nut grass
Cyperus rotundas


star grass
Star grass is also a useful plant, as it makes for good lawns and gardens in public parks.


wandering jew
Three species of the spiderwort
Commelina bengalensis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wandering_Jew_(disambiguation)



*****************************
Worldwide use

Japan

summer grass

natsukusa ya tsuwamano-domo ga yume no ato

summer grass -
all that remains of
brave warriors' dreams
Tr. Gabi Greve

Matsuo Basho

Warrior (tsuwamono) and haiku



.................................................................................



. Lawn (shiba) 　


. Pampas grass (susuki, obana) 　
Miscanthus species, usually M. sinensis



*****************************
Things found on the way

Black nightshade - Solanum nigrum
Double thorn - Oxygonum sinuatum
Oxalis/sorrel
Sodom apple - Solanum Incanum
Sow thistle - Sonchus oleraceus



WEEDS TO BE STUDIED
with illustrations
source : www.elimu.ne


*****************************
HAIKU


children chasing
grasshoppers on tall grasses --
rising sun

yamame



young grass --
two butterflies glide from
goalpost to goalpost

Caleb Mutua

Kenya Saijiki Forum

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two barefooted ladies
pad on soft green grass --
cool highland breeze

Patrick Wafula

Rift Valley, Kenya


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napier grass dances
to the rhythm of the wind --
May rain

Jacinta Wanza

Long Rains Kukai 2009


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dust
on the grass --
sports day

Sebastian Kimey

Dust and Haiku


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going to the stream --
the dew on couch grasses
wets my feet

star grass----
my new white jumper
has stains!

Catherine Njeri


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


July 2010

. MORE
haiku on grass


. MORE
haiku on grass from Khadijah



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Patrick Wafula writes in April, 2010:

I took a stroll around Kayole. Then I met a hawker peddling grass brooms! The brooms were made of tall grass still fresh and green but dry. I wish I could know the name of this particular grass, but I do know its appearance and characteristics.


shouting conductors--
a grass-broom hawker
adds to the din

It was red oat grass, as I found out later.





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jua kali artisan
harvesting papyrus--
bird song

Jua kali artisans use mature papyrus to make baskets and beautiful sofa set tapestry.

Patrick Wafula, May 2010




end of July --
Sudan Grass flowers
turning into seeds


an old woman
talks to her goat --
roadside grasses

Patrick Wafula


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Shiki Monthly Kukai
July 2010 Kukai / First Place — 18 Points

leaning papyrus --
the weight of a green
chameleon

~ Parkeenka Ntato

source : Shiki Monthly Kukai


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cold July --
a white golf ball rolls on
the turf grass

~ Duncan Omoto


. More Results of the Shiki July competition
-- GRASSES 　
by members of the Kenya Saijiki Forum


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cold breeze-
a papyrus waves its
green leaves

Mercy Nzoki


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sewer line--
I pluck macdonald's eye
for my rabbits

Douglas Nugi





*****************************
Related words

*****Bog grasses
Ireland

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Slum fire, fires

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO TOP . ]
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Slum fires
(Swahili : moto (singular) mioto (plural))

***** Location: Kenya
***** Season: Topic
***** Category: Humanity

*****************************
Explanation

The urban slums of Kenya are highly prone to fires.
This is due to a cumulation of causes.

Each homestead has as its main focus the jiko, the fireplace or brazier, where food is cooked and heat is generated in the cold season. The jiko can be the traditional three stones, with firewood or maize cobs used as fuel. In the urban areas, it will more commonly be a brazier using charcoal, or a small metal cooker using kerosene oil.

Light is produced by hurricane lamps burning kerosene. Most homes keep a small supply of kerosene for their lamps and jiko.



Houses are small, and many combustible materials are kept within close range of any of these open fires. People, possibly with trailing clothes, move around the vicinity, and sometimes children play too near the fireplaces. During the cold season, nights are chilly, and there can be a tendency to leave fires to burn themselves out slowly while people are already falling asleep.

Ironing is done with charcoal irons, using live coals.

Many Kenyans are smokers, and careless handling of cigarettes can also cause fires.

Some small businesses use open fires -- maize roasters, fish fryers and mandazi bakers. These fires are normally well supervised and in any case extinguished as night falls.

Slum homes may also be threatened by external circumstances. These are fires starting in their neighbours' homes, fires due to sparking electricity cables, and (in one terrible incident in September 2011) a fire at the Kenya Pipeline in the Sinai section of Lunga Lunga slum. The huge oil pipeline, which ran through the slum, sprung a leak, and the slum dwellers tried to catch the spilling oil. It caught fire and exploded, killing and burning many. Some people jumped into the burning Ngong River to quench the flames, and many drowned there.

Text and photo © Isabelle Prondzynski


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Some terrible pictures here of the Sinai fire (explosion at the Kenya Pipeline)
source : www.flickr.com

And a video of the scene :
source : http://www.youtube.com

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Written in August 2012

About a month ago, fire broke out in one of the houses in the Tujisaidie community in Soweto (in the Kayole suburb of Nairobi), and everything that the family owned was destroyed. Fortunately, no one was injured and the fire did not spread to neighbouring plots.



The community's youth group, Tumaini, was at that time welcoming a group of British visitors. Abandoning their guests to respond to the call for help, the youth ran to the site of the fire and, together with the neighbours, worked hard to put it out. This involved carrying water over quite a distance, as the pipes were dry at this time. The visitors helped as best they could, carrying jerricans of water in a long chain from the Nursery School water tank, until the flames had been quenched.

For the next day, they had planned a programme of calls to several projects in the community. But the visitors discussed the matter overnight and decided that helping to rebuild the burnt house was much more important. And so, they each contributed whatever funds they could, so that building materials could be bought, and the rest of the day was spent putting up a new corrugated iron house.

The rest of the community also got together. Everyone who could, donated some clothes, some pots and pans, a blanket and other essential items, to give the affected family a new start. Slum families support each other... and each of them had probably been helped by others already, at some other time...

Isabelle Prondzynski


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Worldwide use



*****************************
Things found on the way


*****************************
HAIKU

as his fire crackles
there is laughter and chat --
maize roaster

last rays
of the red sunset --
maize roaster’s fire

evening cool --
the fish fryer’s fire
glows from afar

Isabelle Prondzynski


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


updates of fire
in Soweto on Facebook --
tears on my face

the fire --
Soweto goes dark
once again

still standing --
burnt electricity poles
telling the story

black smoke
engulfs the Soweto sunset --
a rush of helpers

water water
everyone calls --
flames and smoke

Antony Njoroge



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Fire in Soweto, August 2012

fire outbreak --
a woman cries pleading
for quick help

rescue group --
the watching crowd
moves away

fire outbreak --
black smoke makes its way
to the atmosphere

~ Brian Mulando




singing a song
from a blackened Golden Bells --
smouldering remains

dancing smoke
from a burnt mattress --
village fire

~ James Bundi




On Saturday at dusk, after the fire tragedy that also destroyed a transformer and left a section of Soweto in darkness for three days, while we stood by watching the Kenya Power and Lighting Company staff fixing the transformer:

shooting star--
we mistake its bright streak
for power return

Patrick Wafula, August 22, 2012



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


thick smoke --
my eyes are drenched
with tears

she wails
on seeing burnt bodies --
Sinai inferno

oil floats on
sparkling sewage --
Ngong River

an injured boy
is lifted onto a stretcher --
rescue mission

Sinai heat --
flames bubbling in
the smokey sky

Sinai tragedy --
oil fumes linger
in the air

a pastor leads
the bereaved in prayer --
Sinai fire

Tom Mboya Hall --
a pile of burnt mabati
at the entrance

bereaved parade --
a photographer identifies
an impostor

~ Andrew Otinga
(on the Sinai Pipeline tragedy mentioned above)


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



fire tragedy --
a crying child asking
for her mother

Sinai fire --
displaced children
crying for food

Authors unknown


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August cold --
a maize roaster pokes
his smouldering fire

Caleb Mutua

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on a jam
dusty matatus on a stand still -
Nakumatt blaze

Nakumatt blaze was a great supermarket fire in 2009.

Siboko Yamame

. Matatu minibus .


*****************************
Related words

***** Jiko (brazier) and makaa (charcoal)


***** WKD : Fire (kaji)
kigo for all winter in Japan


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Nairobi City

[ . BACK to worldkigo TOP . ]
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Nairobi City

***** Location: Kenya
***** Season: Topic
***** Category: Earth

*****************************
Explanation




Nairobi
is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi Province. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters".
However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is surrounded by several expanding villa suburbs.

Founded in 1899 as a simple rail depot on the railway linking Mombasa to Uganda, the town quickly grew to become the capital of British East Africa in 1907 and eventually the capital of a free Kenyan republic in 1963. During Kenya's colonial period, the city became a centre for the colony's coffee, tea and sisal industry.
Nairobi is also the capital of the Nairobi Province and of the Nairobi District. The city lies on the Nairobi River, in the south of the nation, and has an elevation of 1795 m above sea-level.

©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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From the Kenya Saijiki


***** . Nairobi Bomb Day (8 August 1998)


***** . Nairobi International Trade Fair


***** Jeevanjee Gardens and Alibhai Mulla Jeevanjee


***** . Kayole and Patanisho 　


***** . Marikiti Market
Wakulima Market (Farmers' Market)

***** . Mkokoteni hand cart .


***** . Hamza terminus


***** . Langata cemetery


***** . Nairobi Animal Orphanage 　


*****************************
Worldwide use



*****************************
Things found on the way



Kibera

Kibera is a division of Nairobi Area, Kenya, and a province and neighbourhood of the city of Nairobi, located 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the city centre. Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, and the second largest urban slum in Africa.

The neighbourhood is divided into a number of villages, including Kianda, Soweto East, Gatwekera, Kisumu Ndogo, Lindi, Laini Saba, Siranga, Makina and Mashimoni. Conditions in Kibera are extremely poor, and most of its residents lack access to basic services, including electricity and running water.

©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


*****************************
HAIKU

Haiku from Patrick Wafula


Wakulima Market--
soiled porters offload mangoes
from lorries

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


.................................................................................


muddy pick-up trucks
queue to offload tomatoes--
Soweto Market

Soweto stage market --
women buy cabbages
vyondos are full

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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even beggars
line up mangoes for sale--
Haile Selassie Avenue

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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truants swimming
in a seasonal lake--
Jogoo Road

traffic lights
on Jogoo Road--
smell of hot tires

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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Last week, some bulldozers and caterpillars cut down all the grevillea tress along Landhies Road in order to expand the road. My goodness, how naked or can I say bare, the road is now! Isabelle Sensei, you will never those beautiful trees again, they are gone forever.



saw-dust scented
air on Landhies road--
fallen grevilleas


a bulldozer bites log
after log to load the lorries--
sliced grevillea


Muthurwa food vendors
filling sacks with saw dust--
whirring power saw


The Muthurwa food vendors are collecting the saw dust to use it as fuel for cooking food on their braziers.


September 22, 2010


. . . CLICK here for Photos of grevillea flowers !

. . . CLICK here for Photos of the Muthurwa district !



. Landhies Road haiku
by Andrew Otinga


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Photo by Patrick Wafula


bare jacaranda branches
adorned in purple blossoms--
Moi Avenue

... CLICK HERE
for more photos of Moi Avenue from Patrick


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Patrick on January 2011, coming back from a trip


Nairobi sunset—
an orange sun sitting
on the Ngong Hills

Nairobi sunset—
flying crows littering
the orange dusk sky


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Doonholm road-
my tall shadow cast on
rusty mabati

Andrew Otinga

. . . CLICK here for Photos ! Donholm Nairobi


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Soweto market--
loud speakers advetise
Valentine products

Valentine morning--
vendors arrange flowers
in the wheelbarrow

Valentine day--
flower's hawker whistles
from door to door

Caleb Mutua, Kenya
Kenya Saijiki Forum February 2010



Muthurwa Market--
school girls gather around
success card vendors

Muthurwa Market--
the cabbage vendor juggles
a big one

Caleb Mutua, Kenya



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soweto stage --
muddy water stuck on
displayed potatoes


muthurwa market --
a boy struggles to pull
a cart from mud


Sibiko Yamame Winslause

. . . CLICK here for Muthurwa Market Photos !




Soweto stage--
she slices pineaples
into a white bowl

Andrew Otinga
September 2010




Soweto market-
greenish mould sprouts over
a decayed tomato

Asava Kelvin


Soweto market-
a naked madman eats
a rotten watermelon

muthoki

September 2010




. SOWETO VILLAGE - poetic haibun 　
free verse : Beryl Achieng
haiku : James Bundi

. . . . .


Soweto market--
she sprinkles water
on withered vegetable

Douglas Nugi
July 2011


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an old man
repairs an old bicycle
along thika road

Antony Njoroge


The expansion of Thika Road, a ten lane highway, considered the busiest highway in East Africa.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


. . . . .


Thika highway--
a boda boda motorbike
hit a truck

Thika highway--
the late schoolgirls are stuck
on the other side

Barrack Elungata


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Tom Mboya street--
city council officers chase
the mango hawkers

Caleb Mutua

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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Muthurwa terminus--
a new peddler hawks
boiled maize

hussein haji


Muthurwa bus terminal
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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sunny afternoon -
a coiled spider web sparkles
on a Kayaba fence

Sibiko Yamame Winslause

. . . CLICK here for Kayaba Photos !


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At Masimba I witnessed a thief who had stolen a mobile phone and he was in the hands ofthe public:


Masimba stage-
blood stuck on the
stumbled blocks

Masimba stage-
blood trickling on his
left shoulder

Sibiko Yamame Winslause


. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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Machakos Country Bus Station

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


Machakos terminus-
a short man advertising his
herbal merchandise

Andrew Otinga

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Donholm road-
my tall shadow cast on
rusty mabati

Andrew Otinga


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. Uhuru Park .
and a concert by Ricardo Muti
July 9, 2011


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the muddy path
coloured with flowers...
Kawangare

Anthony Njoroge

. . . CLICK here for Photos : Kawangware Slums!


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. Ngong Road



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Related words


Life in Nairobi
. . . Weekly collection of Caleb . . .


Place Names used in Haiku


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Urban Haiku - Worldwide


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BACK to the Worldkigo ABC Index

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Nairobi Digest News

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Nairobi Digest News

source : Caleb Mutua - October 28, 2012

Africa’s best haiku writers meet in Nairobi



The best group of haiku writers in the whole of Africa met in Nairobi yesterday to exchange ideas and participate in a haiku walk competition.
The Kenya Saijiki is part of a World Kigo Database (WKD) that brings together haiku writers from various parts of the world through the internet.

According to WKD owner Dr Gabi Greve of Daruma Museum, Japan, the database of seasonal words (worldwide saijiki) gives poets an opportunity to deepen their understanding of season words in haiku and to appreciate the climate, life and culture of many different parts of the world.

Haiku, a very short form of Japanese poetry, first started in Japan centuries ago and later spread to Europe and further afield.

African countries including South Africa, Burkina Faso and Kenya have in the recent past starting to appreciate this unique genre of poetry, with Kenya Saijiki members leading the way.

“This is an educational site for reference purposes of haiku poets worldwide,” says Dr Greve, who also advises Kenya Saijiki on haiku issues.
Since its inception in 2005, Kenya Saijiki members joined the wider haiku community in the WKD and have been collecting season words, known as kigo in Japanese, for Kenya and writing haiku poems.

The poems are then shared among all members and with the whole world through the internet for comments and discussion on the Kenya Saijiki web pages, starting at http://kenyasaijiki.blogspot.com/ with a long index.
“This was the 13th kukai (meeting) of Kenya Saijiki. The atmosphere was excellent, and all involved participated with full energy and in great spirits,” says the group’s Moderator Isabelle Prondzynski.

Kenya Saijiki is based in Nairobi and currently comprises three haiku clubs; the Peacocks and the Bambochas (based in secondary schools) and the Cocks, a group of poets who have graduated from high school but still write haiku.
The poets include both adults and secondary school students from Kayole Estate and Soweto Slum, Nairobi, with several other poets living in various parts of the country outside Nairobi.

Among other things, the group teaches the students how to write better poems, improve their communication skills and how to use computer and the internet.
The co-ordinator of Kenya Saijiki and the Bambochas’ Patron, Mr Patrick Wafula, recently won a prize after his poem was entered in the Annual Poets’ Choice Competition of the Shiki Kukai.

full moon—
cumulus clouds slowly
form a wolf

The haiku came into my mind while playing with my puppies in my home in Soweto. I have a habit of enjoying moonlit nights and the serenity that comes with it,” Mr Wafula told Kenya Saijiki during its 13th kukai.
During the kukai, the school-going poets enjoyed a one-hour haiku walk observing and writing haiku.

A panel of judges from Kenya Saijiki went through the haiku that were submitted and selected the following top 11 prizewinning haiku.

hot afternoon–
he washes his face
with sewage water
-Rodgers Adega

immense heat
in my white plastic shoes–
i walk on toes
-Brian Etole

scattered feathers
of a slaughtered chicken–
ginkoo walk
-Geoffrey Maina

dry grass–
a black goat struggles
to graze
-Getrude Wahu

scorching sun–
he splashes some water
down his chest
-Dennis Wright

ginkoo time–
she writes haiku
on his back
-Molline Wangui

hot afternoon–
he washes his head
with cold water
Walter Machembe

riverside–
the rustling Napier grass
bends in one direction
Stanely Joshua Kaweto

scorching sun–
two little boys fight over
a bottle of water
Julieth Oketch

garbage site–
I scare a swarm of flies
from a pawpaw peel
-Margaret Ndinda

scorching sun–
a hawk flying around
the smelly dumpsite
-Stephen Macharia


*****************************
- Related -

***** The Haiku Clubs of Nairobi


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All Saints Kukai 2009

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All Saints’ Kukai, 7 November 2009

Introduction

The seventh kukai of Kenya Saijiki was held in All Saints’ Cathedral Nairobi; the date and venue had been booked a long time in advance.

All Saints’ Cathedral is the national cathedral of the Anglican Church of Kenya, a splendid piece of architecture and one of the oldest historic buildings of the city of Nairobi. The Urban Development Programme, for which I have been working for almost twenty years, is one of the departments of this Cathedral. And so, by bringing the haiku students to the Cathedral, it felt to me that I had brought them home!


All Saints’ Cathedral



The two haiku clubs had organised a bus to bring them to the Cathedral; those few students who did not fit into the bus when it was ready, came separately by matatu. While we waited for everyone’s arrival, we set out the chairs in the meeting room in the brand new Multi Purpose Hall, had a look at the wedding preparations coming to a climax in the church (there were three big weddings scheduled for that day), and realised that the new Archbishop, the Most Revd Eliud Wakabula, would be the Guest of Honour at another meeting in the Hall.

When everything was ready, the big bus arrived, and it was an exciting moment when we greeted each other and the students took in the wonderful environment of the Cathedral compound. The weather was fine and sunny, and a great day lay ahead for all of us.



Guest of Honour

Caleb Mutua, acting as Master of Ceremonies for the first part, opened the kukai. Following a few choruses to get us into the right frame of mind, and a prayer to thank God for having brought us this far, asking him to bless this our day together, Caleb introduced our Guest of Honour, Janet Njoroge of Longhorn Publishers Kenya. Janet is the Chairperson of the Urban Development Programme Committee, and as such knows Kayole and the Cathedral’s work there very well.


Janet Njoroge

Janet gave an encouraging address to the students. She had been reading our haiku and observing its purposes. Observing nature and the environment, striving to write in clear and concise English, expressing a lot of meaning in few words -- all these are great accomplishments which help us not only towards better haiku, but also towards better study in general and towards better life chances. In order to show her appreciation for the work done by the haiku clubs, she donated twenty textbooks for studying better English and better writing, which were to be given to the twenty top prizewinners in the kukai.


The two haiku clubs then presented some of their showcase work.


Peacocks :

short rains--
two muddy cocks fight
on a deserted anthill

El-Nino rains--
a hen shelters under
the tree


Bamboochas :

silence, silence
the order of the day--
KCSE notices

rainy morning--
candidates in muddy shoes
sit in the exam room


Tuesday morning--
a pregnant candidate faints
in the exam room

silent exam room--
stickers with index numbers
on every desk


.................................................................................


Computer graduates

This had been a difficult year for computer teaching, as the cybercafés previously used, had closed down, and it had been impossible to find sufficiently large ones to replace them. The students had given their best, had studied and taken the theory exams, and the successful candidates were congratulated :

1. Otieno Aineah 122 marks Peacock (joint 1. and 2.)
2. Mutua M. Jacinta 122 marks Peacock (joint 1. and 2.)
3. Omondi Opondo Maurice 119 marks Peacock
4. Wanza Jacinta 118 marks Peacock
5. Onesmus Mutua 112 marks Bamboocha
6. Philister Namude 109 marks Peacock
7. Titus Karanja 107 marks Peacock (joint 7. and 8.)
8. Elungata Barrack Elauna 107 marks Peacock (joint 7. and 8.)
9. Aisha M. Malik 104 marks Peacock

10. Christopher Kavita 97 marks Peacock
11. Emilly Wanga 96 marks Peacock
12. Anne Wairimu 95 marks Bamboocha
13. Veronica Wayua 87 marks Peacock
14. Vivian Adhiambo 86 marks Bamboocha
15. Duncan Omoto 85 marks Peacock
16. James Bundi 79 marks Bamboocha (joint 16. & 17.)
17. Elkana Mogaka 79 marks Bamboocha (joint 16. & 17.)
18. Joseph Kilunda 76 marks Bamboocha
19. Patriciah Nduta 75 marks Bamboocha
20. Abraham Muuo 73 marks Bamboocha
21. Caroline Wanjiku 72 marks Bamboocha
22. William Odongo Mango 71 marks Peacock
23. Bernard Karanja 68 marks Peacock
24. Ann Kithu 60 marks Peacock
25. Esther Muthoni 57 marks Bamboocha

The graduates were encouraged to practise their computing skills and start sending in their own haiku to Kenya Saijiki.

As these results had only just become available, the certificates were subsequently distributed at the next kukai.



Appreciating other people’s haiku

The haijin then split up into working groups to discuss the following haiku which had won prizes in the Annual Shiki Kukai of 2009 :


Working groups at work
Photo © David Kimani Mwangi


sleepless night --
the moon shifts
from pane to pane

~ Janice Hornburg


moonless night --
the wind whistles into
an empty bottle

~ Tanya Dikova


sudden rain --
umbrellas mushroom
on the street

~ Gautam Nadkarni


winter sunset --
the beggar's shadow
grows thinner

~ Melissa Spurr


graduation cheer --
a flock of starlings
takes the sky

~ Terry O’Connor


hauling firewood --
the wheelbarrow and I
both wobbly

~ Terri L. French


.................................................................................


Ginkoo

After a lunch of bread and milk, we started into the ginkoo, the event that everyone had been looking forward to. The haijin were able to explore the Cathedral compound and the neighbouring Uhuru Park. I meanwhile enjoyed some views of the weddings going on and a short chat with the Archbishop, who expressed his interest in our work and sent his greetings to the haijin.


Ginkoo fun in Uhuru Park
Photo © David Kimani Mwangi

At the end of the Ginkoo, the haijin enjoyed a moment of interaction, while the jury retired to the Urban Development Programme office to select the prizewinners. The jury, comprising Patrick Wafula, Andrew Otinga, Harrison Wambua, Caleb Mutua and myself, were agreed that this was the best ginkoo writing we had seen since the inception of Kenya Saijiki. The two clubs were coming of age now!


Here are the prizewinning haiku:


1.
---
coloured water
in a deep bicycle rim --
short rains

~ Elung’ata Barrack

2.
---
breezy afternoon --
a dry jacaranda flower
drops to the green grass

~ Eric Mwange

3.
---
sunny afternoon --
student’s footprint stuck
on the anthill

~ Yamame Winslause

4.
---
humid breeze --
rippling pond sparkles
in the sun

~ Vivian Adhiambo

5.
---
cool breeze --
a kingfisher flies low
over the water

~ Peter Nguribu

6.
---
November rain --
a green muddy scarf
floats on the Uhuru pond

~ Hussein Haji

7.
---
afternoon breeze --
dangling waterlily roots
dance in the water

~ Elkana Mogaka

8.
---
warm afternoon --
scent of bright flowers
reaching my nose

~ Michael Mwangangi

9.
---
park pond --
a kingfisher waits patiently
on jacaranda tree

~ Stephen Nzomo




The bridge across the pond in Uhuru Park
Photo © David Kimani Mwangi


10.
----
November rain --
a stuffy sock abandoned
in the bamboo thicket

~ Aisha Malik

11.
----
a swan craning
and dipping in the pond --
sunny afternoon

~ Beryl Achieng’

12.
----
sunny afternoon --
a man busy bargaining
for a cold drink

~ Anne Wairimu

13.
----
under a green tree --
a lady’s dress resembles
a fallen flower

~ Maurice Omondi

14.
----
ants rebuilding
their crumpled nest --
dried mud

~ Maxwell George

15.
----
pond inlet --
gurgling water drips
into floating lilies

~ Jedidah Nduku

16.
----
short rains --
black termites rebuild
their destroyed anthill

~ Rhoda Mutheu

17.
----
sunny afternoon --
a couple taking refreshment
under a bamboo thicket

~ Benard Nyerere

18.
----
sunny afternoon --
gurgling pool of water emptying
into a fish pond

~ Scholasticah Mumbe

19.
----
hot sun --
couples under a palm tree
rolling over

~ Irene Muthengi

20.
----
falling water --
from a small raised step
bubbles

~ Amarpreet Amadi


Congratulations to all the prizewinners!
And big thanks to Janet Njoroge, whose books were welcomed with real pleasure.


The ginkoo prizewinners


.................................................................................


Conclusion

Presentations were immediately followed by a return to the bus, which had arrived to drive the haijin home. It was another happy journey, with everyone already looking forward to the next kukai.

Patrick Wafula captured the spirit of the day with his own haiku collection :

inside All Saints’ --
purple jacaranda blooms
outside

wedding bells --
abandoned bouquets
behind the church

All Saints’ Kukai--
discussion groups whisper
under the fig tree

the gardener sweeps
fig leaves from the pavement --
All Saints’

Isabelle's penknife
cuts open haijin's milk packets--
kukai lunch



More photos of the event
© Isabelle Prondzynski and David Kimani Mwangi here :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/prondis_in_kenya/sets/72157623522614607/

Text and photos : Isabelle Prondzynski (unless otherwise stated)

Click on the small photos for enlargement, please.



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Related words

***** The Haiku Clubs of Nairobi


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