THE
SOUVENIR
My journey is coming to an end,
It has been four years of triumph and tribulations,
I have acquired friends and foes alike,
I am now more knowledgeable,
But I don’t know what to souve
you
My clothes will not fit you,
I am a pear, you are an apple,
That is how the scientist would describe our body shapes,
Some jewellery would do,
But we have different tastes,
I don’t know what to souve
you.
We have burnt the midnight oil together,
I am an artist, you are a scientist,
My fountain of knowledge in books and handouts will not be
relevant,
Save for the IRD handouts which I cannot trace,
Now I still don’t know what to souve you.
It is only asset my dad left me on my first day in campus,
Then, I didn’t understand why he chose it,
He didn’t give me a computer or TV because he saw them as
time wasters,
He gave it to me, to update me every morning and evening on
the on goings in my beloved country,
As a Communication/Media student, I can only be grateful to
him,
You definitely know that this radio is not what I will souve you.
It’s hanging on the wall,
All pink with black patterns,
It is what you like most, among my few assets,
It is the loveliest gift I have ever received on my
birthday,
That pink handbag….I know you love it,
But I have learnt that gifts aren’t given out as souvenirs,
What will I souve
you?
I come from the Rift Valley, you, my friend from our
President’s homeland,
If we hailed from the same place, I would give you my sotet (gourd) where I put my mursik,
But you detest the “milk with makaa,”
I have not been able to persuade you to like this delicious
milk,
Still wondering what to souve
you…
There are numerous pairs of shoes under our decker,
The new, shiny black ones would have been best for you,
However, I am a no. 7, and you a Barbie doll’s shoe size,
Now, what do you think I should souve you?
I have had them for four years or is it five?
They now don’t have handles,
Some have cracks where the liquid seeps through,
If I souve you,
you will still leave them behind,
I won’t souve you
these buckets.
We use it together every morning,
We step out together in style,
All neat and elegant,
However, I will need it in my “next life,”
That is our iron box,
It won’t be left behind
My cups have no handles,
My plates have
cracks,
They have seen better days, just like the owner,
It will be a disgrace if I gave them to you,
That still, won’t be your souvenir,
You pursue Applied Statistics with Computing,
Going by the Calculus,
Skewness and Double Mathematics you
take,
I can only sympathize with you,
Then you have decided to ‘burden’ yourself with CPA,
I am sure you won’t have time to listen and dance to music
like I did,
This item will be a distraction,
Listen to the advice from your elders (Yes, I am),
These speakers will not be a perfect souvenir for this
scholar.
It is the most important asset to a comrade,
You need it for the remaining 3 years you’ll be here,
Once spoilt, cannot be repaired,
Once damaged, you can read the despair on a comrade’s face,
It will be your best friend when am gone,
It will give you the best of thoroko, kamande, ndengu, minjii and all those cereals mum packs for you when coming to the
Diaspora ,
That is what I will souve
you friend,
I will souve you
the COIL.
