Month: April 2016

Fata Ikaramu

Poetry

Mbere y’umwaduko w’inyandiko
Nta tushi nta rubaho
Abenge bataritwa inkandagirabitabo
Umwera uva ibukuru butari ibuzungu
Imana itaraba mungu
Kiriziya itarigabira kirazira
Abatware bataratangira gutangira i mahanga
Impanga zitaranikwa ku karubanda

Twari dufite amateka

Uburere butaraha intebe uburezi
Amasaku ataratubera urujijo ngo abarezi tubite “abareezi”
Guterekera no gucuragura bitaritirirwa amarozi
Shitani itahabwa icyicaro mu mpinga za Karisimbi
Amajoro ari ay’ibitaramo mbere ya yandi 100 y’icuraburindi
Amateka akiryohera amatwi mu migani
Abasizi bakigira intebe mu rukari i bwami
Bakandika amateka nta karamu, nta kayi

Twari dufite amateka

Iminsi yose igisa nta mabara arivangamo
Umwera atarakirwa na Sharangabo
Amateka yacu yabaga mu ndirimbo, mu myato, mu mivugo, mu binyeto, mu bisigo
Uririmi rutaracikamo kabiri ngo ducire nk’impiri
Urwacu rutaritwa urw’impirimbiri
Mbere y’uko tuganzwa na za “Ar” na “Ré” z’inkoroni
Uburebure cyangwa ubugufi bwa eri butararangirira i Kigali
Ntaravukira hagati y’ikinyarwanda n’igiswayiri

Twari dufite amateka

Ayo nzi angana na rwa ruro
Ayo nizera yo ni nkaho ntayo
Ni yo mpamvu nshishimura amafuti ngo ndasiga
Mbasangiza ibihe ndimo nganira n’ejo hazaza
Mu gakinjiro k’amagambo ndacura n’abacuranwa
Imfura icura bucura, buri wese ni ukwimenya
Jye naribuze
Amaso yaheze mu kirere, nishakira mu nyenyeri
Ndahumbya nkatsitara ku ijambo nka wa musazi
Ndi umusizi, niyo nazima aka kanya
Inganzo yanjye yazamurikira ejo hazaza
Ubutwari bwanjye bukomoka ku bambanjirije
Ni ingabo mu bitugu ninjiranye mu ruhando rw’abandika amateka ntakomanze
Naje nje gutera igikumwe ku ryavuzwe na Lumumba
“Umunsi wageze ko Afurika yiyandikira amateka”
Iki si ikinamico mwana wa, fata ikaramu. Andika!

#1key

Catch 22 Questions

Poetry, Reflexion

1. Where were “we” “you” “they” before this land bore the name that makes our pride?
2. Which ancestors did the first Rwandese family evoke before sleep at night?

3. How old are the words Tutsi, Hutu & Twa in the universe?
4. Who can point the first time the poet mentioned them in a verse?

5. At what point in time being called any of these names was a praise or an aversion?
6. Is there an absolute truth about our History or do we choose a comforting version?

7. When yesterday’s heroes become today’s villains, who will the future believe?
8. Whose ink to trust when the pen holder’s master own the narrative?

9. What happened to the man who, passionately, butchered his wife?
10. And the woman who poisoned her own kids during one of the 100 nights?

11. Animosity, you’d say but what animal species ever did the unthinkable?
12. Fight to call it genocide but is that even close to define the indescribable?

13. Is there a gene in us for extreme wickedness just as there could be one for kindness?
14. Is there really such a thing as remorse or forgiveness?

15. What’s in the eyes of survivors when they meet the reason they lost everything?
16. Would the person behind their scars genuinely apologize if no one was watching?

17. [Insert country], what’s justice without reparations?
18. What’s restitution when it doesn’t bring about resurrection?

19. If we’re independent, why do our colonizers’ flags wave high all across our continent?
20. If we’re a dignified people, why is the West in charge of the education of our children?

21. Why are some of the answers to my “primitive” questions locked inside museums in Europe?

22. Why would any of these questions make you uncomfortable?

#1key