First Words

By Vincent de Paul

First Words is a 2010 Nairobi International Book Fair (NIBF) Literary Awards winning collection of poems that would ring, reverberate and ricochet long after you have heard them—the inner self seeking your attention and begging to be listened.

First Words addresses a wide range of issues from societal maladies and politics to culture and interpersonal relationships.

These are Vincent de Paul’s first words to the world as he revokes vices, condemns and rights a society he sees doomed to damnation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mystery Publishers
• Release date: Jan 26, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370761111

Vincent de Paul

Vincent de Paul is an award-winning Kenyan Freelance Writer, bold Blogger, pop literature Author, and an avant-garde Poet. He has been published on the Kenya’s dailies, Storymoja Africa blog, African Street Writer, and NaijaStories among others. He has a Diploma in Creative Writing and Proofreading and Copy-editing Course from the The Writers Bureau, UK He works and lives in Nakuru, Kenya.

Book preview

Mother

Bringing me to the world was

the worst mistake you ever made!

Patience

They said, ‘patience pays’

He recalls, but time is elapsing.

He makes several trips to the cloakrooms

Tick-tock, tick-tock,

Dusk is coming.

He wonders, when would I be summoned

It is evening

Nothing to calm my rumbling stomach

The svelte secretary passes, ignoring him

He coughs, but no response.

Sleepy he feels, and naps, then

John, the feeble call comes from the goddamned office.

It’s almost dusk, and he has to trek back home.

The manager looks at him with kind eyes

His documents are ready, and his money,

and another token—

A feeble handshake, then firm

John, welcome, you are hired...

(2005)

White Abomination

A big yellow of the sun had sunk

Down the azure of the western horizon

Pasting obscenely beautiful yellow

Then the ominous darkness crept in.

Grannies paraded the little ones for tales

Fathers, sons and sons of their sons around a bonfire

Mothers and daughters locked themselves in a cocoon

to satiate their famished families

and then the stranger came.

He was some god or spirit they had despised;

He talked the language of gods

the wise Mzee Ngumbau understood it all—

the god wanted a place to lay his head for the night.

Long after many days had passed

As many as fingers of hands and feet

Did they see the god with other gods

The gods were living in their boma;

Mzee Ngumbau was not surprised.

It was years since that day.

The gods had taught them the language of gods

Told them that they could fly

the wise Ngumbau couldn’t doubt.

The realization was so paralyzing

their scepticism had led to their home aliens

who scrambled for their landed foods

Slept with their wives and daughters as they hunted,

Got to their kasungwas and prostitutes

their solace in wife’s untouchable days

and then their black eyes opened

The gods were not really gods...

The men and women with pale skins

And language of gods and spirits

Made them denounce their gods

A man so far, far away wanted them to

A promise of a white paradise

Perfectly perched in black Africa.

The gods made them wear funny things over themselves

even get in to small houses that could move

actually, the strangers could fly

and get a message to gods.

Mzee Ngumbau’s son was like him

The next village elder of Kabaa

Spoke the language of the white strangers

Saw the future of the very