Conferment Time

[For the 31st Graduands of Moi University, 3rd & 4th Sept. 2015]

Herein the Pavilion, this very shrine
Scholars are initiated
Before the glaring eyes of the world
We stand, nervously waiting
Like plastered boys, awaiting the knife at dawn.
But our hearts pound not in fear
of parting with some assets
But overwhelming joy
of the final ritual.

They told us, once ago:
It's a hard task wallowing through these waters
The cold numbed us to the bone;
The cats milked us dry, and made our brains itch
Some of us slid-- liloba liabamala!*
But the gods chose to spare our souls
to survive the whirlwinds
Till the conferment time.

So upon this warm threshold we stand
Clad in ancient cloaks and caps
With our beloved in tow
Sing, rejoice and ululate
Then bow to bear weight of powers
To go and scatter light…


*liloba liabamala-- the soil finished them (died) 

(c) wafula p'khisa