Black Poets: Michael Onsando

Michael Onsando

Micheal Onsando is a Kenyan jazz writer and poet. He is the co-founder of Brainstorm Kenya. He blogs at www.michael.co.ke 

The space of desire is strange

What the space of desire, requires, inspires, within us
within us is strange.
 
How the space we desire, the moves are required
the people inspired – we’re strange.
 
How the strange, are required,
they look, they desire,
the space we require
it’s strange.
 
How the space we desire, inspires within us
the stranger, the danger,
we’re safe.
 
How the danger inspires, the stranger’s desire
the stranger, within us,
estranged.
 
How the rage is required, within us, required
desire acquired is strange.
 
How the rage is acquired, the space is inspired,
the strangers required
for space
 
how the space that’s required, desired acquired
is nothing more much than a race.
 
How we chase, we inspire
the space we desire –
a space for desire
it’s strange.
 
What the space of desire, requires, inspires, within us –
within us is strange.

I published my first poetry collection, The Dance of Dawn at age 17, wrote for the Sun Newspaper, Cameroon as a guest columnist and read poetry for guesthouse magazine, Iowa. I was also the very first volunteer for The African Writers Conference whose maiden edition was held in Abuja 2018 and subsequently in Kenya, Tanzania, and Cameroon, winning a first-year university scholarship. I have also just been selected to be one of Doha Debate Ambassadors 2023.