MONDAY MAU MAU

I went there that Monday morning,
The day they told me to go.
They told me what time to go,
And register as child of a Mau Mau winner.
I went there with more faith than money.
Time, virtue and gains are the essentials.


I met them.
Matigari ma Njirungi.
They love their children,
They love one another,
they love their colleagues who are long dead.
They love me, because of my fighting father, our spirit.


Matigari ma Njirungi never tell lies.
Truth is what they teach me.
It can break a mountain,
We share a Maasai proverb.
They fought for Kenya.


They ask me to be like them.
Nobody paid my father for fighting,
Nor wrote his name down.
These survivors of bullets – Matigari,
Write his name on my soul in truth,
They give me virtue, the best gift.
They give me the bread of peace.
So long unrecognized,wonderful people
And others like my father for-never,
These people give me good spirit.
Good bread and love in poverty.
We toast our living life.


I treasure why I went there.
I went there because my father died.
I went there because I sat next to a man who saw his spirit in me
When I took books to the village on a Saturday,
Fighting for new freedom


And looking keenly he asked,’
“And who are you?”,
And before my answer,”
But I know.Just wanted to make sure.”
You are the child of a fighter, a freedom winner.


I went there on Monday because King heh,would not hear of my absence there.
Those who suffer have no time for Monday blues,
They there meet every Monday morning.
There on a Monday,The litany:
Your father fought.We know it.
We know therenda (surrender).
Those who wanted to fight but gave up lifting their arms- No honour!
and we know ngati (homeguards).
And real fighters, we miss them.
IKONYA, GEORGE Njuguna was a fighter.
His blood flows in you.
And I add, “and the blood of my grandmother, brave woman,
and of my Mother too,
She fought all her life!


In hush tones, the women and men Matigari continued:
We live here quietly,We dress like you,
We look like you, walk, move and talk.
But we know the Secret.We know the heat,
the cold, the sound of birds singing.
Telling of foreboding, the eerie moments of reckoning.
You John M and you John N,
We know who you are.And you and you and you!
We know who of all of you, fought the real fight.
We know not just ngati, betrayers but,
also the fierce fighters, women and men!

Monday, June 21st, 2005