Good evening everyone one and welcome to yet another Friday Night Poetry Corner. Tonight I have the esteemed honor of showcasing one of the most compelling poets I have ever seen. I imagine I could be somewhat biased, as this is a person I care for deeply but this isn’t the case. She is a gifted poet to whom if I never set eyes on her before, my thoughts would be the same equivalent. Here is Njeri Ngugi powerful piece called “Mortality.” I am hoping she writes a book soon.
Mortality – Njeri Ngugi
Twirling on the hospital bed on a desolate night,
with a skull-crushing headache,
the phantoms of her yesteryear her companion.
Fear calloused her eyes, her pillow soaked in laments.
Her reserve of souvenirs barren, of recollections that counted.
The doctor had given her a diagnosis akin to a death sentence.
She finally grasped how fragile life was.
In her reminisce, she realized that she had never truly lived.
Her life had been embedded in routines and well-laid plans,
pursuing accolades and endorsements.
A blizzard of regrets poured on her.
She had so many plans for a future she had believed in.
Perhaps, she had overlooked her mortality.
Though she was not a believer, she hoped that her forlorn prayers, could undo the knots entangled in her heart.
When the cyclone in her core had settled
she felt weightless,
and her senses felt enhanced.
with grace, she decided to begin living-
to enjoy nature’s allure and splendor.
KG Bethlehem 