“Awake, O Nation”
Awake, O Nation—
you who were rocked to sleep
by lullabies of empty manifestos,
your dreams auctioned
to the highest bidder
in the din of ballot deceit.
Arise from the slumber
where tribalism tucks you in
and ignorance sings you lullabies.
You were not born
to be pawns
in a king’s careless game.
Shake the dust
of recycled promises.
Wash your eyes
with truth,
not tinted headlines.
Let not your tongue
be leased to liars.
Let not your loyalty
be tied to names
whose children fly above potholes
you dodge every dawn.
You are the seed
that can crack the stone.
The ember
that can burn the tower.
Do not just vote—
understand.
Do not just shout—
question.
Do not just follow—
discern.
Build, even as they loot.
Teach, even as they lie.
Unite, even as they divide.
The time for sleeping giants
is over.
You are Kenya.
Not them.
You.
Joseph Kioko is a literature scholar currently in his second year at Kenyatta University. He is a lover of poetry, a passionate teacher of English and Literature, and a dedicated fellow in the civilisation of the other common citizens.