Imminent Journey

you were down today
and you cursed me out
you were down today
and wondered why
I had not
called you
for a whole three days
you were down today
and told me
that I was
taking too
long
that you were
almost
getting tired
of waiting
waiting and waiting
for me
to land
in your arms
so that
you could
cannibalize me
with your love
eat me
alive
with your
affection
ravish me
with your
adoration

and I knew
sort of
how you felt
because
I too
miss you
so much
that it hurts
and I too
wonder
sometimes
like you
always tell me
is this
too good
to be true
how come
we never argue
how come
we never fight
how come
we never get mad
at each other
is that normal

we are both
so used
to stormy love rows
that we are shocked
to find that in life
you can find
a soul so
dovetailed
to your own
that you suspect
there is
some fine print
that will
eventually
give the game away

but honey,
this is the
real deal
if any thing,
the raw deals
masquerading as
our previous fealties
only helped both of us heal
in ways
we are both
only just now
beginning to feel

let me
bring a smile
to your face
to let you
know that
it is just
around the corner
the day,
I mean
when I walk
into that
travel agency
and finalize
that booking

i was
toying with
the idea
of pulling
a prank on you
here
is what
I was
planning to do
coming to kenya
with my cell-phone
getting
a smart card
that I could
use in mombasa
calling your house
from within mombasa
and telling you
that one
of my friends
had a package
for you
from me
waiting
at hotel splendid
or the reef
or nyali
or the cosy tea room
or wherever
and insisting
you rush there
because
he would be there
for only three hours
and that
you would
rush there
and die
of shock
when you
saw me
instead
i was thinking
of doing that
and then
I kicked myself
when I remembered how
i had already
blurted it out
silly me
the other day
when we were
yapping away
long distance
in the middle
of my night
and the beginning
of your morning.

hey,
look out
for me
all the same….

Onyango Oloo
Montreal, Thursday, May 20, 2004
4:11 am