Poverty

©FloNyowila.  Published on July 2016

Being poor is knowing exactly how much everything costs.

Being poor is getting angry at your kids for asking for all the crap they see on TV.

Being poor is sacrificing your meal to yuor younger siblings. 

Being poor is hoping the toothache goes away.
Being poor is your boss abusing your poor  family and there’s little you can do about it. 

Being poor is knowing your kid goes to friends’ houses but never has friends over to yours.

Being poor is going to the restroom before you get in the school lunch line so your friends will be ahead of you and won’t hear you say “I get free lunch” when you get to the cashier.

Being poor is wondering if your well-off sibling is lying when he says he doesn’t mind when you ask for help.

Being poor is having one pair of shoes for all occasions or even lack of it for that matter. 

Being poor is off-brand toys.

Being poor is a heater in only one room of the house.

Being poor is knowing you can’t leave Ksh. 100 on the table when your friends are around.

Being poor is hoping your kids don’t have a growth spurt.

Being poor is stealing meat from the store, frying it up before your mom gets home and then telling her she doesn’t have make dinner tonight because you’re not hungry anyway.

Being poor is Goodwill underwear.

Being poor is not having enough space for everyone who lives with you.

Being poor is feeling the glued soles tear off your supermarket shoes when you run around the playground.

Being poor is your kid’s school being the one with the 15-year-old textbooks and no air conditioning.

Being poor is thinking Ksh.  1000  is a really good deal.

Being poor is relying on people who don’t give a damn about you.

Being poor is an overnight shift under florescent lights.

Being poor is finding the letter your mom wrote to your dad, begging him for the child support.

Being poor is is walking bare chested with torn pants on. 

Being poor is stopping the car to take a lamp from a stranger’s trash.

Being poor is making lunch for your kid when a cockroach skitters over the bread, and you looking over to see if your kid saw.

Being poor is people angry at you just for walking around in the mall and buying nothing. 

Being poor is not taking the job because you can’t find someone you trust to watch your kids.

Being poor is the police busting into the apartment right next to yours.

Being poor is not talking to that girl because she’ll probably just laugh at your clothes.

Being poor is hoping you’ll be invited for dinner.

Being poor is a sidewalk with lots of brown glass on it.

Being poor is people thinking they know something about you by the way you talk.

Being poor is needing that 35-cent raise.

Being poor is your kid’s teacher assuming you don’t have any books in your home.

Being poor is staying at home due to lack of school fees. 

Being poor is crying when you break your mom’s only glass on the floor accidentally. 

Being poor is knowing you work as hard as anyone, anywhere.

Being poor is people surprised to discover you’re not actually stupid.

Being poor is people surprised to discover you’re not actually lazy.

Being poor is a six-hour wait in an emergency room with a sick child asleep on your lap.

Being poor is never buying anything someone else hasn’t bought first.

Being poor is having to live with choices you didn’t know you made when you were 14 years old.

Being poor is getting tired of people wanting you to be grateful.

Being poor is knowing you’re being judged.

Being poor is working n people’s gardens in order to get a coin. 

Being poor is checking the coin return slot of every soda machine you go by.

Being poor is deciding that it’s all right to base a relationship on shelter.

Being poor is knowing you really shouldn’t spend that buck on a Lotto ticket or sportpesa. 

Being poor is feeling helpless when your child makes the same mistakes you did, and won’t listen to you beg them against doing so.

Being poor is a cough that doesn’t go away.

Being poor is working during the day and at night to ensure your family is stable. 

Being poor is a ksh. 4, 000 paycheck advance from a company that takes ksh. 4.500 when the paycheck comes in.

Being poor is four years of night classes for an Associates of Art degree.

Being poor is knowing where the shelter is.

Being poor is people who have never been poor wondering why you choose to be so.

Being poor is knowing how hard it is to stop being poor.

Being poor is seeing how few options you have.

Being poor is running in place.

Being poor is people wondering why you didn’t leave.

Being poor is being forced to dress in an oversize shirt by your mum because it is the only white shirt. 

Being poor is going without meals. 

Being is poor is praying for things people take for granted

Well, having been poor is not a shame, but being ashamed of it it is..

‘Wealth’ is not the oppossite of poverty.. Justice is. 

One fine day.. We will find our justice

So help us Lord. 

The common element

©FloNyowila

Published July 1st
People, they just ain’t all golden, not at all.
Not even silver, magnesium or copper.
Maybe zinc, because it tastes like ink and it does your body good,
but you never get enough, even though you know you should.
But had I the means, and the ends were understood,
would I be zinc? Would I carry the common good?
Would I feign precious metal? Or am I nothing but wood?
I met today aluminum, he said, “I’m bad luck.”
“I know it,” I said, “You’re out of your element.”
“My melting point is 660.2°C!”
I told him my name was FloNyowila,
but that turned into a testament.
“You’re just lucky you aren’t a duck,” he said.
“Maybe, but I find I’ve got too much will.”
“You can’t spread will on bread, my friend,”
he said, much to my Brazil,
“but lucky for you they make contraceptives in pills.”
I didn’t want children anyway, but when Boron arrived,
I was feeling less than sublime.
Boron said, “My name rhymes with ‘moron’!”
“No kidding, Boron,” I replied.
“I can come in both the dark crystal and brown powder variety!”
“That may or may not be true,” said Aluminum,
“but at least I benefit society.”
Oh, yeah, he said it, he went there.
“I value correctness and propriety!” Boron shrieked.
“And you can be flimsy, squishy, and weak!”
I wanted no part in this, so I meandered.
Not too long after, I met Helium.
I told him my name was Jean.
“I don’t believe you, mealworm,” he bombasted.
“You’re gaseous,” I said, “I wouldn’t put it past ya.”

Without you

©FloNyowila

Published 26th june 2016

Mom, without you, there would be no me.
Your love, your attention, your guidance,
have made me who I am.
Without you, I would be lost,
wandering aimlessly,
without direction or purpose.
You showed me the way
to serve, to accomplish, to persevere.
Without you, there would be an empty space
I could never fill, no matter how I tried.
Instead, because of you,
I have joy, contentment, satisfaction and peace.

I know it was never easy along the 

way. But you never gave up.. How else can I say thank you!! 

Thank you, mom.😍😘😍
I have always loved you
and I always will.

My heart goes to all the women out there. 

We love you 😘😘😘

Lost hope

©FloNyowila
Look outside, see the trees, CUT. 

Watch the flowers in the breeze
Things won’t be like this in a year or two
If polluting is all we do
Seize the night
Seize the day
Things won’t always be this way
Thousands of people are dying
In the night you hear children crying
Let’s stop the war
Our people are sore
The world can’t help itself
Who cares about your wealth
Help me to help you
Show the world what you can do.

An empty heart

Published by flo nyowila may 3rd
That’s how I feel without you.
Every day that we’re apart
Feels like an eternity.

You move me…
Make me feel things I thought I would never feel again.
When I am with you,
I feel a warmth wash over me.
A warmth unlike any I have felt before.
It picks me up and carries me to a far off place,
A beautiful place…
A place where nothing is known but love and caring.
My worries fade to a distant memory,
And all but you is forgotten,
If only for the moment…

My heart is overflowing with joy and love,
The joy that you bring to me,
And the love that I feel for you.
Never have I come across anyone like you…
Sweet, warm, tender, caring…

I become overwhelmed in your presence, lost…
Lost to my imagination, to the thought of you.
I’m lost in a wonderful dream, and I never want to wake up.

You… You are too good to be true…
My knight in shining armor.
The man I’ve been searching for…
The man of my dreams.
And now I have you,
Yet I cannot have you.
To see you would be heavenly,
To touch you, divine.
I want to share my life with you…

You are my waking thought
And the last thing on my mind
As I drift off to sleep at night.
You fill my dreams with visions of happiness and love,
Visions that linger on and carry me through my day.

There is a longing in my heart
That someday we will become a reality.
I want you with every fiber of my being.
I need you as I need water, or food, or air.
I miss you every second of every day.
And for everything that you are to me,
Everything that you will ever be,
I love you.. 
THIS I SAY WITH LOVE

FloNyowila

I cant remember to forget you…

R is for REALITY
 
Posted by  FloNyowila may 15th

 
I know am not perfect …. But if you correct me…i will take it positively… I know am a sweetheart, but if you admit it… I’ll appreciate your honesty. I know am caring… But if you remind me…. Ill acknowledge you…. I know its good to be around me….. But if you say it… I may stick around you for a while…

With real friends like #Margy F, AA,Betty, Paul, Edd, vinny, Frank, , faith, Chelsea,loise, phabian, Amoke, ,Joe,Njambi,Rich, Goddy,  Presley, KJ,belish,April,Mcdee..

Aaaaaw Okay you are these huge people in my life how i wish i could just fix all of your sweet names here Amen! 

All am saying is I so  love you guys  😘😍😘😍😘😍😘

YOLO!!!

20 Friday May 2016
Posted by FloNyowila in poetry & fiction, thought, Uncategorized, WISDOM .

SO if life throws lemons at you FloNyowila says  look for someone of whom life has given vodka and throw one hell of a party!

Parents! Parents! Parents! How many times did i just call them? That includes all elderly people as per me! They are the living manifestation of horror to young upcoming stars call them youth!

They technically hate everything that the youth love! talk of speed, danger, and related kinds to youth are nothing but FUN but our parents make them seem like some kind of SIN engraved in a coating of MISCHIEF.Let me try to think its too early to remind us of the effects of mid-life crisis!

Truly am trying to understand all this in the parental realm but duh am dumb in it because all they see is some hell on earth! But come on they all passed through this so tit for tat seems fair enough on them on behalf of their parents! We’re young and trying to get it so we live large and outwardly! They think its dangerous we coat it in fun!

It surely is a big world but we are even bigger trying to push each other to the limit we are learning quicker! ! I personally wont comment on smoking herb and drinking burning liquor since am not even acquainted to that field!

Rave heart mode on we live by the moment and let the worries of our futures to our parents! The wise men who apparently are old men said tomorrow is not yet here and yesterday is gone so live today as the first day of your life but we added ” also last day”! Parental worry of tomorrow comes as religious mockery to we youth as the Holy scriptures remind us that ” We are more special to our Heavenly Father compared to birds that don’t worry but still live on!”

The dark is the devils kingdom but hey come on we brand ourselves “knights” go and jumble it up for we still are children of light and yeah it does us some good to still acknowledge the powers of our good God still get exercised even in the devils kingdom!

Even the Holy Book says enjoy the days of your youth and we surely appreciate the remaining bit of remembering our Creator on Saturday and Sunday masses !

Maybe a little bit of a reminder to our good old men and women: YOLO I am sorry if you didn’t get that but duh that’s that! After-all I am yet to see a person who lived through and took life that seriously and still managed to come out of it alive!!!!( off course no religious references to Elijah and Enoch)

So live life

love life

live large

youth-on!

FloNyowila

Why ‘idiots’ are more richer and successful…

By FloNyowila Wednesday, Jun 29th 2016 at 08:04
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A smart teacher would actually take extra care of ‘C’ students, for they are the ones who are going to employ the ‘A’ students Photo: Courtesy
One of my all-time favourite motivational quotes is: “There are only two things that will change your life; the people you meet and the books you read.” This quote summarises my life story; I am the product of meeting the right people and reading the right books.

A famous saying goes thus: “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go further, go with others.” Another one says that, “He who travels alone goes fast, but he who travels with others goes further.” I would like to remind you again that if you really want to go beyond the limits in your life, you only need three things: people, people and people.

I recently read three interesting books with interesting titles. The first one by Jeff koinange Through my African eyes.. And the second one by Robert Kiyosak titled, Why A Students Work for C Students and B Students Work for the Government. Am particular about the second book.. 

I can tell you for free that one of the reasons C students employ A students is the simple fact that most C students are known to be street smart and charming.

They are very good with people and very good with numbers. They can easily influence and are convincing because they have what I call ‘likability.’ They are likable and like people too; they know how to treat people, respect them and make them feel valued. They are less egocentric and more people empowering. They understand the universal truth that the greatest desire of every human being is to feel important, and whenever they interact with others, they apply this law. They make others feel superior to them, and in the process, find their way around them, cross all barriers, go beyond limits and reach the summit of their potential.

A story is told of a conversation between a retiring university vice-chancellor and an incoming one. The younger man asked the retiring one for a word of wisdom on how to take the university to the next level. The old scholar told him to take good care of all the students because after graduation, they would go out and get jobs. Because they were sharp, they would grow pretty fast in their careers, and some would become chief executive officers of major corporations or important personalities in government.

By virtue of their professional and social status, they could come back and support the university in a big way. His second piece of advice was this: “Take extra care of your C students, for they shall employ your A students.”

Think about this. Throughout history, legendary leaders have had great people skills. Your people skills will take you to places your brain and papers cannot.

The third thought-provoking book I read was by Robert Shemin titled, How Come that Idiot’s Rich and I’m Not? Upon reading this book, I realised that most ‘idiots’ outsmart most educated fellows for the simple reason that for their advancement, the ‘idiots’ solely rely on their gut and power of leverage. What is leverage? It is simply using other people’s goodwill, other people’s intelligence, other people’s resources, other people’s influence, other people’s ideas and other people’s contacts.

HEALTH BAR

Health  is a 24/7 business. After all, illnesses on’t choose when to strike. It can be any day of the week, and any time of the day. Whenever you were unwell, I am sure you just made your way to the doctor’s, and expected optimal attention regardless of the time or day of the week. In most cases, all goes well, and your doctor seems to always function at his best.

But is it really true that doctors are always at their best? Is your eventual outcome related to when you see your doctor? At face value, it may not seem any different if you see your doctor either early in the week, or towards the end of the week. You may even deem it more practical to see your doctor towards the end of the day, when you are done with all other chores. May be you have done this all your life, and everything has always been okay.

But you would be wrong. The timing of encounters with your doctor matter a great deal. You see, the body is biologically wired to function in a certain way. After a good restful night, the body and mind are at their best in the morning. Reaction times and cognition tend to slow down as the day advances, and are worst at night. As the working week progresses, there is the inevitable build-up of fatigue and exhaustion, with all faculties slowing down towards the end of the week. Doctors are only human, hence they are not spared from this biological cycle.

Several studies have looked at whether your risk of medical harm, or death is influenced by the timing of your encounter with a doctor. The conclusion is that tired doctors are not good for you. The more hours your doctor puts in, the more the rise in rates of medical errors. That translates into missed diagnoses, wrong prescriptions, more complications, and more risks of serious medical harm, or even death.

There you are. The best times for doctors’ appointments are therefore during daytime, preferably mornings or early afternoons. Early in the week is preferable, better to leave the weekends alone. Out of hours and nights are a big no. But what about if all these preferable appointments are all filled up? And what about emergencies? Well, any non-urgent case can wait. Emergencies are a different matter.

Don’t suddenly be wary of doctors working late in the day, or on weekends. There are many safeguards in healthcare to ensure your safety. But keep your wits about you. If you select the best timings for your doctor’s encounters, you get them at their best. If you are always the last on the queue, at the end of the day, and on the last day of the week, you might come out worse off one day.