Poems by Caroline Nderitu

Do not doubt your gift

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 16:38:00 +0000

Do not doubt your gift

Winds may continue to shift

Ascension may not be swift

Still, do not doubt your gift

©CAROLINE NDERITU

How to Steer a New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 08:41:00 +0000

As the New Year draws near
Let the filth of fear disappear
Where there was only a tear
Allow buds hope to appear
A time for what-ifs to clear
Engage a bold go-get-it gear
My dear, make it your year

©CarolineNderitu, 2013
Sunday, 29 December 2013

Technorati Tags: New Year,poem,Caroline Nderitu,Poet,Kenya,African Poetry

Over this Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 21:25:00 +0000

Over this over-eating, over-talking and over-texting season,

My warmest regards go out to you and all yours in sight.

May your family and friends give you every reason,

To be filled with love, cheer and sheer delight.

©Caroline Nderitu, 2013

Wednesday, 25 December 2013

Technorati Tags: Christmas,Caroline Nderitu,Poem

A little more

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 14:41:00 +0000

I am a little more than I was yesterday
A little less than I will be tomorrow
A little more or less the same today

More fruit than seed
More tree than root

More of what I will be
Less of what I have been

More me than I was
Less me than I will be

A little more than I was yesterday
A little less than I will be tomorrow
A little more or less the same today
-©CarolineNderitu

Hope Kenya, hope!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 12:07:00 +0000

By Caroline Nderitu

Dedicated to all Kenyans, especially the families affected directly by the Westgate siege, Nairobi, Kenya.Our hearts and prayers are with you. We are one.

Why does the sun continue to rise

Into the Kenya sky each day?

Why do we get up every morning?

Why is there breath in our lungs

Why are we still here?

Hope

For hope we live

Not because the path to healing

Stretches nice, wide and easy

Beneath our feet

Not because the skies

Have been calm above our heads

And the winds calm on our sides

But for hope

For hope we live

Not because mangoes of answers

Hang juicy and ripe for families to reap

But because our re-buffed sharp vigilance

And re-kindled steely resolve

And refreshed solid unity

Are seed in the ground

And there will be a harvest

There will be no more unrest

We hope

For hope we live

Hope is the colour in our eye

Hope is the flavour in our voice

Hope is valour in our step

Hope

For hope we live

Not because yesterday was full

Not because today is fresh

But because tomorrow is fertile

Tomorrow is different

Tomorrow is new

And look

Tomorrow comes...

Hope

For hope we live

So whatever else we lose

We never lose hope

As long as we have, hope

We have … something!

And hope does not

And will not

Let us down

We hope

For hope we live

©CarolineNderitu

www.carolinenderitu.com

Thursday, September 26, 2013. 1:41:23 pm

Some of Hope

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 10:14:00 +0000

Some of Hope

Today's thought

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 10:11:00 +0000

Today's thought

A Mara Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 10:02:00 +0000

A MAASAI MARA (Kenya) MEMOIR

For a moment,

To stare into the eye of a giant

And realise,

That I am one too.

For a moment,

To commune with the wonders of nature

And realise,

That I am one too.

For a moment,

To behold a glorious sunrise

And realise,

That I am one too!

Caroline Nderitu

Queen of green, A poem dedicated to Prof. Wangari Maathai

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 12:56:00 +0000

THE QUEEN OF GREEN

By Caroline Nderitu-Benjamin, HSC

A mighty woman, has slipped out of our hands

But the portraits of her passion, adorn many lands

Set her compass on a rare path, and didn’t veer

We call her pioneer

Trekked where many would shake and shudder

We call her warrior

Fought fearlessly and ferociously for her opinion

We call her champion

We call her heroine, for in heroine

You will find Wangari Maathai, therein

Set her eyes on heights, many found dizzying

Curved out a path, many found puzzling

She had made a decision

Not to limit her ambition

She begged on her knees

Begged for the life of our trees

Without hesitation, without reservation,

She preached conservation

She stood her ground

Her spirit could not be bound

Karura had found a vigilant shepherd

Uhuru Park was never captured

To amplify her undying devotion
Let healing the planet, be our genuine inclination

From the well of Wangari's diligence

Let us draw fresh reflections, on our existence

Now rest Mama, rest in peace

Rest in peace, among your trees

From our glance, you may be gone

But the fragrance of your fortitude will fair on

Your eyes are now closed

But we shall keep ours open, for all you proposed

Wherever this planet is maimed, your voice will rant

Nudging us to turn a new leaf, to plant, plant, plant

That the roots and shoots of a billion trees may roam free

To leave a legacy for the children, that are yet to be

We call her

Trailblazer

Guardian of freedom

Spring of wisdom

Voice of reason

Kitenge fashion icon

Kenya’s sweetheart, the queen

Of green

To remember Wangari

Is to remember

The little humming bird, of which she often told

That tried to put out a fire, with what its beak could hold

We too can and must do the best that we can

To rescue our globe, from the frying pan

To remember Wangari

Is to remember

That to protect whatever we hold dear,

We shall have to shed our fear!

To remember Wangari

Is to remember

Planting trees

Is planting peace

May she rest in peace!

~~~

In lasting, loving memory of Nobel Peace Laureate, Prof. Wangari Muta Maathai

www.carolinenderitu.com

“In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other. That time is now.” - Prof. Wangari Maathai (1 April 1940 – 25 September 2011)

PUT LIFE INTO THEIR DAYS

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 14:25:00 +0000

By Caroline Nderitu

For Nairobi Hospice Fundraising

She lies in bed

Waits to be fed

She detests being helpless and dependent

On her helpless dependents

She’s a mother

He knows the sun is out

When he hears the touts shout

They think he still has his job

He looks at his family, he can only sob

He’s a daddy

They are hoping for hug, a touch

They’ve missed that so much

They cannot run out and play

They wish it could go away

They are just children

Put life into their days

Not just days to their life

No one is spared

No one is prepared

It was just an itch

It was just a twitch

Just a disturbing headache

Just a difficult toilet break

No one was prepared

Not for what their doctor shared

No one was prepared to be so scared

To be alone and lonely

In the company of pain only

At a time so tough

Is bad enough

To be alone lonely and hungry

And angry

Under the strain,

The pain

Peace-less

Helpless

And cold

Whether young or old

Put life into their days

Not just days to their life

We cannot look the other way

Knowing that’s their typical day

We can’t leave a fellow human being

We can add to their life, meaning

We can begin to perform

With some minimum reform

A blanket to blind blistering cold in the rain

A power pill to arrest the unrelenting pain

A pillow to prop and pacify a troubled back

Nutrition that’s more than a bedtime snack

The Hospice is all about life

It’s all about living

Days can become weeks

And weeks can become months

Thank you for giving

It means someone will go living

There is enough money in the world

To do everything that, to us, is hurled

May we join in, our unity

Will translate into dignity

And return life’s sanctity

Put life into their days

Not just days to their life

FOR HOPE WE LIVE By Caroline Nderitu

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:51:00 +0000

FOR HOPE WE LIVE (second edition)

By Caroline Nderitu

Why does the sun rise

Why do we get up every morning

Why is there breath in our lungs

Why are we here

Hope

For hope we live

Not because the grass

Is green beneath our feet

Not because the skies

Are calm above our heads

The sunshine is warm

And the breeze calm on our sides

But for hope we live

Not because mangoes hang ripe

Up on the tree

But because there is seed in the ground

There will be a harvest

Not because the well is wet

But because the clouds are gathering

And there will be rain

And rivers will flow

Rivers of joy, rivers of peace,

Rivers of health, of wealth

Rivers of fullness of life

Hope

For hope we live

Hope is a sparkle in our eye

Hope is a twinkle in our smile

Hope is a glow on our brow

Hope

For hope we live

Hope puts

Art in our hearts

And our hearts in our art

Music in our laughter

Joy in our feet

Art in our hearts

Hope

For hope we live

Why does a fisherman

Cast his net into the seemly bear lake

Why does a baby born, crawl, run

Why does a widow hum

Why does a builder place

Brick on brick on brick

Hope

For hope we live

Not because yesterday was fresh

Not because today is full

But because tomorrow is fertile

Hope

For hope we live

Whatever else we lose

We never lose hope

As long as we have hope

We have something

And hope does not let us down

Hope

For hope we live

A SMILE, A TWINKLE! A poem for Linda Jean Longstaff

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:57:00 +0000

A SMILE, A TWINKLE

A poem for Linda Jean Longstaff

A mother, a grandmother, a wife, a friend, a Rotarian

By Rotarian Caroline Nderitu

I fixed my eyes

Into the heavens afar

And there I spotted,

One brand new star

Linda always smiled,

Now she twinkles!

She went, to many,

She spent, for many,

She bent,

Bent over backwards for many

Opened her heart

Opened her arms

Opened her doors

And let us all in

Linda always smiled

Now she twinkles!

A soldier

For the underprivileged

She marched to meet

The needs of needy

Let us carry on marching,

In true Linda fashion

Let us reach

Where she was going

Let us preach

What she was saying

Linda always smiled

Now she twinkles!

In this life

Our paths cross with so many

Only a few like Linda,

Leave a firm footprint,

In our hearts

For holding us all ever so dear

We shall forever hold you dear

Your warmth will always be near

I fixed my eyes

Into the heavens afar

And there I spotted,

One brand new star

Linda always smiled,

Now she twinkles!

My poetic wish for you

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 16:49:00 +0000


As you wait without a clue Of what the pending year holds in store, Any chance you will pursue A healthier, happier life than ever before? Copyright ©Caroline Nderitu, 2010

My dear,
As we travel into the New Year
Here is my prayer
May the following be yours for sure:-

A face that is quick to smile,
A spirit that holds hope fresh and fertile,
A heart that beats steadily,
A family that loves and supports readily,
Friends that are close and true,
And for them to see you in that light too!

Oh, and a simple success story,
...that you can call your own!

Copyright ©Caroline Nderitu, 2010

Caroline Online

Promulgation Poem

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:18:00 +0000

It is time!

Written and performed by:

Caroline Nderitu, HSC

For:

The Promulgation of the new constitution
At: Uhuru Park, Nairobi, KENYA

On: Friday, 27th August 2010

Kenya is flying sky high,

On the wings of the unity of her people’s vision

Our communal hopes, dreams and … peace

Are the mighty winds

Pushing Kenya’s sails, forwards

In the storms of reforms

It is time

For a new brand

Of a brand new Kenya

There is a dance in our step

Music in our laughter

Like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle

Sinking into place

We have come

To where we have been going

The platform for transformation

It is time

For a new brand

Of a brand new Kenya

It’s time

To explore, exploit and expand

Fresh and refreshing

Opportunities for Kenya’s people

It’s time

To serve an eviction notice,

To the afflictions of our nation,

In every region

It is time

To upgrade trade

Our chance to enhance and advance

Business and commerce

It is time

To sharpen the tools

That shape our workplaces and schools

It is time

For a new brand

Of a brand new Kenya

Bila shaka baraka na fanaka

Zimeanza kutiririka

Kutoka Nairobi hadi Magaribi

Kutoka Pwani hadi Loiyangalani

Kutoka Nyanza hadi Kwa-vonza

Tumeanza safari, yenye fahari

Wakenya wamechangamuka

Uchumi, umeanza kuinuka

Hata bei ya kupiga simu, imeteremuka

Si hiyo ni Kenya mpya?

It is time

For a new brand

Of a brand new Kenya

So we congregate,

To promulgate,

Then navigate

Na-vitu-zingine-gate

Whatever gates we have to get to

To carry Kenya shoulder high

To a whole new level of significance

And performance

It is time

For a new brand

Of a brand new Kenya

Kenyans, leaders,

Do you take this new Kenya

To love, to cherish and to hold?

I do!