i know fear my friends! (By Ojijo)

(Extracted from Fireplace Stories: Ojijo's Performance Poems)
ojijo-poet, public speaker, author, pianist, lawyer, consultant in business systems, feasibility study, financial projections and strategic planning: 0776 100059, ojijo@allpublicspeakers.com)

 

i have been afraid,

i have been scared,

i have been frightened,

i have been terrified,

i have trembled,

i have known fear my friends,

 

i have been deeply fearful,

that fifth day of march, 2009,

i have trembled with dread,

that fateful day for my friends OULU GPO and KAMAU KINGARA,

i have been anxious and petrified,

that day they called me and told me i was next,

i know fear my friends,

 

for fear got into my hands, and they trembled,

for fear got into my heart, and it fluttered,

for fear got into my voice, and it quivered,

for fear got into my legs, and they wobbled,

yes, fear got into my stomach that day,

and it refused food,

i have been afraid my friends,

 

that night i kissed my woman,

and tasted terror,

that night i held my woman,

and embraced horror,

that night i hugged my woman,

and offered panic,

that day, fear visited me,

and stayed,

 

that time i spent a day,

and waited for death,

i slept the night,

and knew the night would not break on me,

i listened to footsteps,

and counted my last breadths,

i died ten times that day,

i have known fear my friends,

 

i have seen men switch off their phones, and keep quiet,

i have seen men cringe in their bones, and hush their tones,

i have seen men break their promises, and coil their tails,

i have seen what fear does to friends, turning them into spies,

i have been afraid my friends,

 

i have been afraid my friends,

fear stops the heart, makes it cold,

fear paralyses the feet, you can’t walk,

fear ties the tongue, you can’t speak,

fear stops the lungs, you can’t breadth

i know fear my friends,

 

it is cruel and shocking,

what fear does to men,

it is wicked and evil,

what fear did to me,

it is brutal and sadistic,

what fear did to my friends,

it is horrific and terrifying,

to live in fear,

my friends, it is better to die than to live in fear,