Analysis of HE REIGNED BUT NEVER RULED
HE REIGNED BUT NEVER RULED
By Hon. Aloo Denish
1) Three decades and over, he transformed Kenyan politics and governance,
His name and images dominated front pages of Magazines and Newspapers,
His actions and steps were the news bulletins of every TV and Radio station,
His speeches and words reverberated across all social Media platforms,
He was at lips of every citizen, in Barazas, in farms, marketplaces, offices and fields.
He fought for second liberation; Freedom of Speech, Expression and Association,
He fought for Multiparty Democracy, against One-Party State,
He brought the New Constitution, and engineered Devolution.
All these he did, NOT while seated on the Throne,
NO, he was anguishing in Nyayo torture chambers,
He was in detention without trial, nine years of isolation from family and friends,
He was in exile, in foreign lands far beyond our continent.
He was in the streets, accompanied by Mammoth of Crowds never seen before,
He was at the Parliament, with the support of like-minded leaders,
He sometimes lingered close to the corridors of power, and negotiation tables,
Brokering selfless deals for the sake of his county.
2) He fell the tyrant leadership, yet did not assume power,
He reconciled and forgave, with famous "Handshakes", yet did not taste the throne,
He was praised when fighting corruption, defending citizens and exposing
government scandals,
Yet was denied chance when seeking opportunity to implement the very good ideals.
When Kenya needed him, she USED him,
When Kenya needed him MOST, she MISUSED him.
3) Henceforth, If a poet/scientist/leader be granted permission,
To give but a piece of advice, I’d dedicate a stanza to this legend;
"To this coming government, Oh Sun of Africa,
Play dumb and fool, offer no alternative governance anymore,
Like a hot potato, drop the opposition roles,
Never again, should you satisfy their quest,
Of fighting, of mocking, of defeating and spitting on you,
Do they, their worst, lambaste them not,
Do they, their best, applaud them not,
Let them, if they chose to, milk the people dry, and advance their dictatorial
decrees,
Till one day, through experience, people may learn,
the necessity, of supporting a true patriot.
Quit stage oh best dancer, at the crescendo of frenzy,
Retreat to your abode in Opoda farm,
To the White House of the People, on Riat Hills,
Relax with your wife, with whom you've together grown old,
Gather your grandkids, around "duol" the traditional bonfire,
Tell them African tales, give them stories of the world before, prophecies of the
world after.
Eat honey, drink milk, munch fruits, as in your Dreamland CANAAN,
Because you have lived, you have loved, you have learned, and you have left a
legacy.
4) Raila Amolo Odinga,
Agwambo, the Enigma of Kenyan Politics,
The mover of masses, the darling of the people,
The King that Never was,
The president outside State House,
The People's President,
Reigned but never ruled.
Scheme | AX XBCXXCXCDBXXEBFG HDIFXJJ CXKEXXXLLMXXXGXXXHKHCKG IXMXXXA |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111101 1111 10101010110100100 110100100110110010 1100100110011001101010 110010100011101001 11111100100010110010001 11110010101101000010 1111000100011101 1101010001010 11111110101 111100011010 1100100110111010110001 1101010110110100 1100101001101110101 11101001001111010 101101101001100001010 1001011011110 11010101110110 1100011101111101 1111100100101000010 10010 1101111001001100010101 110101111 11010111011 11101010010110010 111011011100101110 1110100111100 1101101010010001 10101100101 1001111011 110110101001011 1111111 11110111 1111111010100110100 01 111101001011 00100101001100 11111010010110 011101011 10111010111 0111111101011 10110110010010 11100111101010110010 110 1101111101110 0111111111101110 100 111 1001011010 0101100101010 011101 0101111 01010 11101 |
Closest metre | Iambic heptameter |
Characters | 2,948 |
Words | 537 |
Sentences | 11 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 2, 16, 7, 23, 7 |
Lines Amount | 55 |
Letters per line (avg) | 42 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 466 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 96 |
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Written on September 15, 2022
Submitted by Aloo-Denish on September 17, 2022
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 2:41 min read
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"HE REIGNED BUT NEVER RULED" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/137859/he-reigned-but-never-ruled>.
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