“Against the march of time, a child — now man — stands alone and demands just to be, to grow, to live and to love and to do the things that man must do. And yet in his soul he questions and cries out for the simple things of yesterday —.” — Francis Ochuka, 1999

I come here to count you my hours in the firmament of stars Neither in a body in jail, nor in the form of pain I couldn’t reduce Much less that a bludgeon on rocks when they carve A place for my grave to bloom I am of gentle love, I serenade with the graceful moon Of my dreams, Of my soul wearing rubbers treading on the sidewalks Of my memories Of my troubles, my screams and my woes Life happens Yeah it sure has its surprises I was the sunlight, Then the light decomposed in the prism all of a sudden Do you remember me daddy? Or nowadays the flowers cloud the garden of heaven far away from me? You was my mom’s father But to me You’ll always be mine, daddy! Tears fall my eyes when they say I look like you, daddy They say we are a life away from happening A split of time, before the precursors I feel the ride, When I watch JKL and I said life is pre-carious So we watch as our friends pass, and wait for our days to carry-us My lifeline, my faith, When I find myself in times of trouble mama Mary prays for me Between the drive by in ambulance And everytime they pass me I can still recall my days with the sirens See life cannot surprise me no more I have been left, and I have died, and I have been mourned In fact, they say that cancer was a stubborn stain I couldn’t survive Many was waiting to fold my remains inside a glorious wood of a pine These are the pages of my life The blood flowing through the vessels in my time From a dark rose in the arms of my young mother From the chubby boy whose eyes became flowers Nuh, I couldn’t wait for pain to grow us And I couldn’t blame nobody for the darkness that befell us And I shoulda laid Looking into the eyes of the stars, late night the village’s retainers When I look From on top of the hill, I mourn for my people’s dreams who’s gonna save us? That we only need love when we are on the bad side of the gun I’m the boy of a girl Who coulda bled me out, am her better for worse And sometimes, I question my worth I walk through the gates of home and mama gives me a hug, She warms me food and prays with love I ain’t got nothing And I only give you nothing but my soul. When I woke up I found mama humming songs we used to sing in the church I told mama I want out, cause my body started to fail us And even though I lost my religion I got the glory of a Marvelling universe I lived for my thoughts, and when I go, a part of me lives on I lived for my soul A day at time, without knowing what the fuck I was gonna become I’ve relied on a twitter handle to go fund on my behalf I have cried So many times, without a place to go in a city lost in the concrete cracks But I don’t regret Cause in it I also had friends who become my family I’ve been chased away I have watched my dreams fade away I have gone home with nothing but a defeated soul and I wanted to die and go I’ve lost so many keys and met so many locked doors In a shuttle bus going nowhere I sat by the window The April fog covered the roads And I wondered, where the fuck we go? From here? So when my crutches and footsteps knock the slabs I remember everything I ever survived These struggles can murder me, but there will be a part of me that will always be alive These poems have been my gifts and curse The quiver of the pen whenever I write is marvellous After Cures, I opened the jar and broke the metaphors The ink flow of something pure than midnight love I may not have crossed the bridge I dreamed growing up But I remain The flowers inside the seed So when the heart gets heavy, I reminisce I give you nothing but my soul

|Verse One| Faithful, Are the wounds of my emptiness I press call, “Ma’ I think my body is dying again.” “Bless you Baby boy you been dying ever since you came to this place.” I pen from my soul But nothing streams Is like the ink is drying on the jars of clay Haikus only Every — Day I stare at the abyss, and nothing looks back Unashamedly ugly, With these beautiful scars There’s a cut — throat Everyday feels like another black spot My spirits are weak, Feel like I can’t climb up the rope As my life flows Through beams of therapy, They say you can’t avoid the muddy road Yellow tape video Everything is pain, We tread through the mills Be grinding slow Everything unfolds Back to the clean slate Bubbles through the ventilators Maybe the air we breathe is our denominator Decimator Life fletcher My grandma says healing is entangled in a mess These violins cut me deep I think of bad codes that worm my body down and weep I think of the last hand to touch me better be gentle with me I think of my daughter growing far away from me I dream in grey, my body be a black site But I promised myself all the joy it brings To know I still breathe Even when am down with defeat I think of the small gears of victory That still grind inside of me I still beat my bloody wings till the cage is free I still wonder if solitude cures my nights when I bleed I think of my bones laid down at home And I become another grain of memory |Hook: Ochuka| Everything dies Everything gets rusty Everything gets old Flowers blossom, Dead by dawn Women cry their souls The kind of love that puts a father before The mirror when a child is born Coordinates on the book of the last chess Black box Bird-box, and we still survive wars with our blindfolds on Long after the crowd is gone You asking what you did wrong? Long after the clouds hang over your head And you beg at the lonely gate Prisoned by fear, Poisoned by rivers Before we turn our decaying bodies into memes Before you crowdsource for funds that could help you heal Before you watch the ugly stain destroy your dreams Before you sing from your bones and write from your wrist Before ER, OR IV drips and the pills Everything dies Everything gets rusty Everything gets old |Verse Two| Before the tumours inside you are endless pits You dust the face of the universe with a clothe of grief Sometimes we ache Sometimes it’s lick shots, The barrel empties ashes on the grave Sometimes we watch all the glory we trade All the sour grapes, They say our fruits fell out strange They say we grew up with no fathers How were we fathered? We hang on love to remedy our lonely days Sidewalks Sometimes we feel like our gifts are misplaced When call buttons look like a way to be ashamed You wanna call for help but you be afraid When every breath is an apology for your mistakes The world is like all or nothing For you the struggles mean everything Through violent storms, You survived but couldn’t be free For the past is a difficult thing to outrun When shadows engulf your soul, can it be undone? Black chimera How can God be one? I still sprout through the concrete, and the change is none I saw Pac thru the bullets on his body I still bleed sad songs, free my soul, empty my universe I saw bad weeds growing inside of me Some I converted into poetry I’m still a piece of nothing in the puzzle The deck is empty but fate still reshuffles Blinders, faith is window to the soul? Cause one day we won’t cry no more Everything dies Everything gets rusty Everything gets old

(when I go, I leave behind these chains that hold me down?) Unapanga breath, Ndio usiwahi—lose tracks, hapo mwanzo kulikuwa na neno, Wengi wakai—take for granted Unshushwa pendo, hadhi yako stendi stranded Pasipo maua ya kufarijisha nafsi Huku ulimwengu sio duara, la mawe kambi Wakati, Mafikra mafichoni Unaitazama life, darubini imemwagwa machozi Unapangwa chenji Mkono unaokurudishia gharika ndio hapo mwanzo ileleta faraja Udongo ndio kirusi Wanaotaja nyeusi pamba, Almasi chini ya pressure Ukuwe nini ka taabu hazikukuongeza majukumu ya kuwa mwanafalsafa? (when i go, i leave behind these chains that hold me down?) Kaseti ikivuta kamba We ulikuwa mfa—maji, Kuishi ka driver wa meli inazama Moyo ukaskuma damu Sio vingine Vya kupambwa bustani la kovu Mwili ukalazwa bovu, chuma chakavu Juu sio, Kila mchele white, zingine black powder Kiwanjani nuks, Kila moja si ana vita vya ku— Stahimili Siku ikifika, kwa foleni you Bow down for death be a reaper who’s greater than you. (when i go, i leave behind these chains that hold me down?) Unafumanwa na maua yamekauka juu ya kutanda cha wafu Hapo ndio maishako inageuzwa sinema, wakfu Hadithi yako inasambaa Hapo mwanzo ukaona haya Uwanja vita vilichorwa kwako, Ukaguza waya, nafsi ikangoja kupona Sometimes Nafsi yako ikichoka inakufilisi Njia panda na uzito flani rohoni Uliishi vya vita, Maisha ikakugeuza dondi Macho ukifunga, body inabadilishwa zombie Ulipangiwa wembe Karibu umpe mpasuaji kidole cha pete Siku most, uko ndani ya War Room both knees bended Ukaitazama ncha za penseli Ka labda mwisho utakuwa tofauti na hapo zamani Dunia ya rangi Dunia ya nani? Dunia, nyota, mbalamwezi Unashuka chafu, ulipanda freshi Unachomwa na barafu, unaposwa bolingo na theluji. (when i go, i leave behind these chains that hold me down?) “Form no gani?” Kisichojulikana ndio huwaga inakupain ndani Kisichokupa maana Ndio unashindwa kuihadhiria, foro— Dhani Body ilikuwa wreck Mind, visu sharper shinda razorblades Ndio maana, soul ili—take stroll journey (dua) (dua) (dua) Vipigo ndio kisomo Ukifumba macho ndio labda utalaza machungu unaokulemaza nafsi Unachopuuza, mwingine anakililia, Ashindwe aituwe vipi dunia yote begani Vinavyochungwa na risasi, wengine roho ilikufa ganzi Meme philosopher, kuna wanaodhani kupumua no rahisi, funny (ha) Ripoti mbaya, Picha za kutafsiri mbaya zaidi (when i go, i leave behind these chains that hold me down?) Unapofunguka roho ndio labda watasema, kwa kila soko kuna chizi Dunia, lami nyeusi Inaskuma fahari, na pia inakupokea siku unafyonzwa na nzi Ukiishi vya dhamana Unachunwa ka bidhaa, kinachokupa mkono wa buriani Ndio labda kinakupa mafunzo Maua kwa pendo ni ya kurembesha Na tena maua, vanity, no ya kutupwa juu ya jeneza.

Track — Maria |Sample: Sarah McLachlan| I do believe I failed you (Dear Maria) I know I let you down (Marie) I do believe I failed you (Dear Mama) I know I let you down (Dani) (Kinda piny yandaduogo kama yandalale piny mabor) (Mama nokayudo pesa, manabi agoni go erokamano, omiyonenaonge yueyo) |Verse One| I cry every time I reminisce Sad, I haven’t seen Awuor for days (And many nights I thought) I would die without even saying goodbye Lately, have just breathing But I never feel alive So now I heal through these memories It’s so hard to watch you struggle with your memories I’m stuck in this sick body Everyday I stare at my own grief I write about family everyday Ma, you taught me how to smile “You smart baby, say grace to God.” But deep down I really live a sad life Ma, you gave life to me They say I look exactly like you (sweet lady) Mama, Sometimes it’s your thoughts that keep me going through Life robbed me of joy But the kind universe keeps showing me love I think about Francis everyday The only father I ever had And I can’t help but think myself an outcast who brought you shame They say some paint don’t go away Mind been killing me, put my soul in flames It’s sad I had to grow up with all these questions in my head It makes me sad I never found ways to grow without the blames I’m sorry about the pain I’m sorry for the trauma, that life put you through |Hook: Theafrican Muhonja| Sending my love to you I love you… |Verse Two: Ochuka| Dear mama, I got a baby daughter, and i named her after you Her sister and her mama, i hope they watch us from the moon Like loved ones gone, watching from far away Dear mama There’s nothing in this world that can stop me from loving you Words from your youngest son from your oldest daughter Your smile is beautiful (Lady lando Nya—Kabuya) You taught me how to breathe You give me courage, and teach me how to dream May love save me from the error of losing my faith Aroma of fried rice and seasoned veggies when you cook, is sweet I reminisce through rainy days Phone calls make me miss you when am far away You smile like a little girl You’re gorgeous in your church dress I am the tears of joy in the only eye you got left I’m the midnight monologues, Whenever you pray I am the pain deep in your bones I ‘m the miracles in your sad songs I’m the love, For your sons and daughters and my father before Even though we swim in the river of loss I want you to dance with me even if the wind blows |Hook| |Verse Three: Ochuka| Sometimes, Maria, I wish I could heal your soul You’re my only rose My motif chalkboard Stained with the genes of my mother you know I am The tall trees of glory Ever since I picked the pen, it’s been beautiful In these days Filled with sorrow, You are the Abundance in the universe All these tracks Have been only you an I in a verse My first syllables of love (ma-ma) My first encounter with loving bosoms of God My first bitter taste of herbs My first spoon of honey in August ninety three And even though, Maria, Life may drift as a way Like forgotten memories that now entangle in your brain I’ll always remember And even though, Marie, Time destroys our clocks every-day Like fallen melodies that call upon my soul to write you songs when you pray I’ll always remember Your healing hands Water running over your back The seeds you sown gave us bread and love, We never lacked Bells tolling My heart skips, With every flower petal falling Rains calling, Whenever they feed my veins with these drips I can see your eyes clearly Dear my old girl, Wrap your hands around me so I can feel safe Send me love again when you pray Cause this world done changed, Becomes a very sad lonely place Dear mama If I let you down in any way I hope that, Loving you wasn’t one of them.

Track – Kuoyo |Verse One: Ochuka| Yande kichung’ Maseno, king’iyo yor Asumbi, igo machiemo Nenineno gweng’ onindo e lowo, Kimulo fuondi tiwinjo songa mak mana ni piny Pod nigigeno Achien kani iting’o duondi malo, tinyalo orni magina Tinyalo yanyi kakifuo ipingo oke Konea Tinyalo yali kakituo, wang’i tar ionge pesa Tinyalo landi kakiwuor, okinyal gonyo oganda Tinendeni Kisumo oninde par, Kanyono Ema yawuoyi lwarie pile bang yiero Bende kanyono ema chunje chwerie ne wach rem, mapok ji ochango Ka yande ichung’, e wi got Nyabondo Kirango holo, nyaka samba niang’ ma Muroni To piny mako dhogi Puth Rambaka, Simeyo Ondeto, Mikail otwe lamo, tek ka kamiroye mbura Pado machal kama are outlawed, omiyo waonge jowinjo e nyakalondo Nabii versus biro mag juogi (Dawe) An winyo an dhano, Yawuoyi mang’eny onindo e lo gi duggi An ringre an tipo Buya Marach ogawo nam, onge kaka ji du biz Libamba nigi bengi Moko nigi kembe, Kendo moko nigi puothe mag ngano koda coffee Wanto wan kod ang’o mopogore gi nyadhi? Siasa chiro peremende Ayub Ogada, yim mopong’ ipimo koda sembene Liech osin, thum kuodhe gi kang’eye Chieng’ mileng’o lewi ekiyuagi ni mayie Ka pok ichiko iti mondiwinj juok Isabela myar Asego Tibiro nang’o bala gi misaro, To okniyud yueyo Inacham luya kod lowo e lith lweti Nyaka chieng’ idokie kuoyo bang’ kuyo Iniwuoth Karachunyo yo Milambo Iniringaringa e buru marakwar ma Kabondo Ka okitang’ iloko pachi, to duto biro chalo mana yamo Chieng’ mitho gi lum e dhogi, ekanendi loso news, to ringre dhi ka biye B/A versus big L Ichwadi joints ma very fluent Ochuka podapek, Kalamba nyalo kuong’i to kendo nyalo weyi very blessed Ochuka Wich dhano, nailot intellectual The poets poet, The alien from the inner space, So you know Dana never raised no fool (Nya-Abiero) |Hook: Kamimo| Mayooo… Mayooo… (Mayoo, mayo) Mayooo winja e… (Asechopo) Mayooo… Mayooo… (Mayoo, mayo) Wenda e… |Verse Two: Ochuka| Ndesna buoyo, Dokta Kalle, piny yande ber newalupo nam chiemo ng’eny Pong’ yande rego Kakasuku, luona cham idhi iregna ka Salome Ajoji Wuod Weta, g’Orwa ja—solo Aero achogou e banjo, orchestra Dumbe Dumbe Alego Tat Chumbe Odudu miel e aora Nyando korgi Oyange Nyakawa Lang’o, to Seme bende Lang’o korgi Gabriel Oguda Migochwa oduogo dala tero suda Kabasele WuoKokise chieng’ moro nwayudie hawi mbuta Adwen nyanyango min kiche To an Ochuka wuon Awuor wuon thumbe Anie wuoro, fadha Leo tayo misa jokopere Samadolo to Biggy mor ilo dalagi Gem Ujibe Jomamadhe ywe dhogi aeto neno kamatuo Jomandese ruak oyunga kikuland koyo Jomanang’e kikukuong’a nono, ran gunde thoth Samomoke kama tiwinja nyaka God Gwasi Samaflowga hama, jaadha banjo muomo kor lwasi Thum tindigoyo gi fitina, remember M/J (Siaya Kababa) Thum tinde mana pesa, Jathum odino kochot molwaro bei Thum tindigonagi mila, Thum tinde ng’enygi onge gi filosofia Thum tinde chalo mana gunda, maonge koda wegi Piny olokre tinde od twech Libamba tinde nigi steel gates It’s all on you if you ain’t got no tools of trade Ka dhier oromi tibironeno ka mayie Ka liel oyudi chieng’ isaa kamiyike ringre Ka tuo oramoni tibiro wuoro kaka lit adier Ka ran orundi, anyuola biro nyieri kakiyudo twech Piny masira, ka mar wadu, tinyalogoye ngero Piny rachilo, ka mar wadu, tinyalowuore ngimano maonge geno Piny kama wanie welo Ayula nyalo yudhi chon Apaka nyalo ling’ie bugo, onge ng’amabiro tony House Negro Jopap manerito dala otho pep, benduparo Mboya ja-Rusinga O-the-nilote, O-the polymath O-the light warrior on the polygraph We all die but we are born before We can kick the multies, Or we can put piriton in bullets, Ochuka, killswitch with the metaphors We can use love to protest these streets Be wanyalobeti e ground ka niang’ maonge gi sukari Nchi ya chai, jikoni sio ya watu wadogo Dhok adi man koru? Kose in emidong’? Ubiro kar rombu, kose liel okeli wuoth? |Hook: Kamimo|

Track — Midnight Thoughts (Horizon) Midnight thoughts & thunders 〈serial soliloquies〉 3:02 AM |Spoken: Ochuka| I don’t like to acknowledge days like these; grey, bland days. I love seesawing between euphoric enlightenment and the crash that inevitably follows. I like it either really dark so that I could hide in its embrace or really bright so that I can run across fields and meadows. But on grey days like this I feel… insignificant I catch myself forcing a writing session like trying to set a forest on fire with a single ember my expression becomes pompous and hollow. I’m pretentious, using words that don’t resonate with my emotions, to cover up my abject simplicity, my mundaneness which I’m ashamed of. I’m merely a ghost writer for my heart, and it hasn’t prompted me, so – I end up saying too much and making no sense at all. Empty words, like empty calories I feel empty of meaning, full of nothingness. My heart is awfully silent, and verbose echoes fill the silence with trite chit chat you see? I hate this. I don’t want to listen to myself because the silence is deafening, defeating, detrimental to my illusions. Fuck this, i’ll go to sleep.

Track – Auctioning My Pain |Verse: Ochuka| Unahitaji suits? Tie? Au tu folder ya Wudz? Freshy Kuna maangel kwa roof Ma soldier street wana booty kwa foot Wanangoja auction your blues Love me leave me, so zote unaezachoose? Ile daraja ni ya few Sio kila youngster uturn out kuwa babu Na kwa kona mitaa, blessings ndio huleta taboo One shot, kimbo moja ya busaa Two knots, shingo inaponder hewa kuisha Three clots, “Simple liver yako inadie kwa picha.” Four close, to five alfajiri hauna glory unaezaamkia We ni mpainful au suicidal? We ni warrior au warlord? We ni hearse au funeral parlour? We ni pain tu, au pia Kuna some other colours? Unauza Cures? Ah, we ndio ule poet msad na terms difficult? Nuh, mark hii sewer Nistitch a bit of some wise words Shit inaezago South, kule chafu hata uwe na the thickest pads Or the sleekiest parts Roll over the window, Risasi unapimiwa haina kilo Deep ni darkness unazikwa ukiwa alive yo Nakuuzia hii pain Veins zako zikichoka kudrain Na shelf mapedi mwili umeisha madre Unapapasa kisu ndio uverify grammar ka inaezatweet your last death Au glamour za media vile inaezakufanya uearn respect Love this cage Nimerapture so vitu zinatoka paraphernalia za metal, more metal na darkness More medal, ego imehang kwa neck Staki paycheck, Nadai sextape na grease ndio nicome nipacemake Staji playmate Najiuzia death juu number ikifika date hauweziforfeit Four fate: birth, love, death and more death Die pen, I thought I buried you deeper to forget |Hook: Shaerif, Amwayi, Kantai| One day at a time, my mama used to sing with One day One day One day at a time ma used to sing widas One day at a time will love sail widas? One day at a time, now we telling ourselves |Spoken: Ochuka| What would you do with these stories we tell? Would you, buy our pain with kindness even if we don’t sell? What Would You Do? I swear if you, weather this song. Without feeling a needle swimming thru your soul. You ain’t meant for what we bleed. You ain’t healed by the pain we breathe

Track – Geno |Verse One: Ochuka| Geno tije tek, an mana buru ma pok ndalone kogik Lemba mar rem, siganda mar bungu ka pok alondone piny masira manoyuda e thim Ngero chal0 mana le Ringra chalo osiki mapok omuk oa e lowo, Ikoma kaka koth yiend ambewa, Lek chando wiya ka miyo mogamo remo neno dwe Nono ka pii wang’ rech Ligangla ni e dhod chunyaka Masin owir mor pong’, masin gwecho e roka kae Chuma ger otimo chind remo Inyuoli under razorblades Tuoro ogawo pendi matudi koda minu ka liel ma iye nigi bie Ikwang’ e i ataro marateng’ Ma onge dhok, adundou emagwecho everyday Dwe tochiko Kwara nenobet, E tie dero, cham ochiek dwe mar keyo Jaduong’ ondikona barua Mabiro somo chieng’ monyuola abiro bayo e piny ka Dana chweyo taulo Maket kod, rangi mamajan Orito umago, sama usi donje i sindan toholo wer Oywa moa piny mabor Omondi wuoda yande akowo, to donge ruoth oduogona? Ja-Sigoti, god mesa, bi abiya kik iluor Rabuor ma dichol Nyadundo ma wang’e tindo chalo kwach Awiki got marachar Dibo marahuma, ratipo maradar Ochuka osiep Rosa Guya, rwadh pala puro lowo Osiep Juma Ja—Kabuya, Adongo aromo Gi bap ndege makanera Pala yandong’ada ayudo mbala, majioritona kisera Tuo marach yandomiya songa, majiong’adona bura Kansa yandopidhona buya, ma denda oner arito thona Anyuola yandolandaga marach Kaka gini odinona yoo aonge future Moko bende yandoyanyaga marach Kaka achwanyo minwa dong’ aonge thurwa? Awayo yandoojogore gi lak Jaber oringa, maonge kata goodbye, niyandoweya very sad! Ndalo osudo mos, mawinjo kagima ayudo chang Nyorocha emayanda yike jaber Oweya chon gi nyara kapod tin kwar e pidi Ka yand imeda remo Taparo kinde manebe imede remo Kayandawito osiepega mageno Taparo joga duto manayiko, lowo otero Ka yande wuoth oduoga pacho Ranga dani emarwaka budho gi nyakalondo e laro Ni geno tije tek Ma tiang’ otho orumo, buru emoweyo e kendo ka rachar To wende winy ni gi gweth Kachiewo aneno, tago abal pii wang’a chwer Piny mosiko toksikie Piny, dunia, mokili piny punde Lowo tindorumo tiwayikre ewi lietewa wawegi? Chan, dhier, tuoche, fuo, kod ang’enge Yamo oloko kite, tipo pod keto mana kore! Mwandu tinde nyalo miyilandi Mwandu bende nyalo miyindhogi nyadidek Ochuka yandawer gi diek Ochuka yandigona gek To kata ng’ama sud buti onge, yandomialal aonge gweng’ Yandomiyo agano ngero moro Buya marach otiap e puodho Awayo, aremo, achak, kod anyiego Hera choke mbese Dong’ ochuno ng’amihero nyakabedie! Buya yandochomana gi lowo Kibaji yandegoya, to tinde aonge gop ngero Ka chieng’ alwar, kita nodong’ ka rapar, duto gin chenro! Ka chieng’ nyathina oduogo dala, ternauru dana bayo kendurwakna wendo Barupa ero andiko atieko Achola nyar Abiero, Awuor Chieng’ Jaber machunya wero Hera chalo hono, Oloyo tembe te ma dhano nyalo yudo Buya rach To inie olemo Manyak e puotha mane piny ojaro kakotuo otimo ongoro Lwedo otimo chilo bang’ doyo Puothe omor otimo cham bang’ komo Wich e dhano, maloyo kido mar piem manono And even though life is life Love is love, My prayer is a flower blooming my song

Track —Your Love |Verse One: Ochuka| Ulinikujia ka tunzo la fahari Ka mto ndani ya moyo inaskuma hii body, damu imeishiwa rangi Romi angehadithia vile hearse imepigwa body, Na mbegu za waridi zikamea after kukaukiwa kisiagi Wangesema vile mifupa ziufumba methali Hauoni vile ubeti tumeweka mbwa kali ndio tukinge roho dhidi ya heartbreaks na ajali? Ulinikujia na true love, si cover magazine Ukasema umenipenda zaidi ya struggles, makovu na pain Mama hakuwa na mtazamo ya kuntupa baada nizaliwe Au kunitoa mwilini nitupwe mbali kijusi kabla niangaliwe Sina story yangu beyond that The best thing ku—happen ilikuwa kuishi bila ku—feel sikuwa enough Nikatunzwa Nikafunzwa love Ka gift ilikuja uninvited kwa fam Ulinikujia ka ndoto za they before My great grandma used to say, Francis he a reincarnate of your soul And pops smiled, He loved me, I loved him more Nkaishi za dua, chini ya piano Nikajifunza kusoma maandishi na picha zilikuwa kwa wall Used to feel beautiful When you said ariek matienda okee, Achalo Mboya ja—Chula mfangano Chini ya vagaries za weather Nikajifunza craft, after ulienda, life ikageuka heartbreaker Maria akabaki na tanzia, Siku zingine tu ndio me humwona na tabasam kwa sura In this life Sometimes the skies are blue under Where we live and die And fight to survive Sometimes, hope is all I see My loved one’s fearful eyes Show me love, is all be Nothing is for certain Out of emptiness our hearts do plead We struggle We bleed We gamble we breathe Sometimes only pain be real (damn) Pomegranates, only roses and thorns papi Now everyday it feels like I do circle a void, daddy Do I talk about you so much? Am I just another stuck soul, Does my prayers reach the far you’ve gone? The best soul I ever seen I got a dig, ready for my PhD But it ain’t feel the same without you here to see |Hook: Theafrican Muhonja| Your love Your love Your love Your love |Verse Two: Ochuka| Ulinikujia ka barua za kuridishwa to the sender Mbalamwezi ilitupea faraja, then next gone, maisha maua Awuor ndio akabaki na fever For days tukiona through the mirror, her weak lungs on the breather Nika weaver Nest bila birds, Chest bila heart Taulo ilifunga your tiny body, ndio pia ilinifunga soul sad Maisha chini ya jua huwezijua, huwezikuwa—sure Blues sayers Since day one, I been a survivor Yeah, you know the drill Ndio maana juu ya kinanda, hadithi ni ya wonder Nimeungua bets most days lakini nafsi ni ya johari Naona life na darubini, licha ya tabu, hila na dosari Najifunza dua roho yangu ikienda mbali Sijui mngekuwa nini? Mnge—grow up na kuishi your dreams Sijui maisha nikupe nini? Sijui kwa majibu ndio huficha maswali mengi? Ulinikujia na mabuyu kwa lips Najiona kwa kioo, mafuvu kwa dreams Najifunza kukaa, karibu na the window seat Kungoja ka labda mvua itaninoga pindi body yangu imechoka kuwa sick Ulinikujia na beauty singeezaweka kwa fasihi Ulinikujia kamagera, niko za life, chrome RnB kwa nganya za ma—three Ulinikujia na study cells law school pale Parky Ulinikujia kwa mitaa, Life ingali duni, naskiza mziki sad, Ulinikujia kwa misa—a Ubani jukwaani, days sijafunguka kuzungumzia hadithi yangu ya love Story ya Vitu ziunikula ndani kwenye blood Ulinikujia kabla Vangelis, Bethoven na symphony za Mahler Kabla guns na black rose Kabla kitambo ikuwe memories, nostalgia before Ulinikujia na voice ya Ghetto, the yellow brick road Ulinikujia na James Dandu, kalamu nyekundu tukaiweka ndani ya pistol Dandora iki—burn, makachinja walikuwa area code So when the Beat goes, I wonder if you can hear my soul So don’t you worry pretty little thing So far, so near, far away from me I’m a little unsteady ukiwa far away from me I can’t hold you You can’t hold me My arms are empty Your wings are heavy When you love so deep The ache too be deep Time blurs no pain Nothing stays the same You shown beautiful You shown so much joy I ask you Little.... Darling Smile from the holes of heaven, darling Tell them how you are loving we The same way we are Loving you Tell them mommy needs you close, Jay your sister misses you more I hope she shines Like you was still here Tell mommy it’s okay to cry To miss you all the time Because love will always be Both visible and unseen Love will always keep holding me Till I see you again.

Track — Awuor 52 white keys, 22-black i look inside of me and see myself  beyond clarity  i can touch your soul whenever i touch my face  (wonder)  i named you after hope  i named you after my women of wonder the one who birthed my grandma who birthed my mother  dear daughter,  Your eyes were beautiful  Small,  and sometimes filled with water like my own  My little girl  My little feminine me, with a sunshine smiling  You're a star  You're the grace of the moon Connecting with me through the darkness from a far  Dear little mama  You're smart  You're kind  You are love  You're cute you're marvelous  You're gorgeous  You're the stretch of day star, you're the universe  Go be who you are, baby  the world is yours  Grow be a masterpiece, sweetie go craft your heaven and earth  Be a monument of love  and remember the love you are  forever, even when one day you become a mom Hold yours and cherish your heart  Heal baby, my love is yours  You're rain  And the skies watching over the earth  You're not afraid of the rainy days  You're the sun, mama  You're my sunflower soul  I adore you  I cherish you  I honor you  You're a body of love  You're a gift of love  Through these pieces of life  sometime, you'll feel lost,  and i'll hope your soul  will stumble, through the learning to find home And from a far  i will always watch right through the storms and hope you run into my arms  Dear mama  Imma miss you when one of us journeys out of this world  For days i feel broken  empty in small rooms, in a drifting sinking ships i want you to unlock the doors beyond which my life didn't afford  You're abundant  You're god You're a body of love  You're enough  strive to love yourself more without giving that power up And if ever life brings you wars, and scars and pain  Through time and distance  May you grow  May you nourish your soul  May love heal you and keep you safe  But above everything else  Just know i will always love you  My little girl  My sweet little girl. 

Track — Albadiri |Verse One: Ochuka| In 97, Misimu zilikuza maua freshy kwa farm Pops alianza feely weak Most days aliandika Most nights sindano ilikuwa Ina—cure soul yake vinyl ikizunguka Gramophone, Picha yenyewe iko stuck kwa soul Mkono zake zina- Paint pain yake vivid kwenye grand piano Nka aliiona future angeezahepa Alikuwa anafunza roho yangu dua la wino Nika nko trapped kwa hio breath Nika light enyewe ni black Natumia moyo wangu kuona juu imani ishaniwacha kwa mataa Rearview mirror, forward, flashback Natumia memories kujitunza ndio nisi—loose my path Kwa theatre viti za mbele Naona life yangu ikiplay back to back In Oh Two, July Seventh Siamini uli—give up on me, ukaniacha na maswali milele Naiona surako kwa kila kitabu nasoma Ukageuka body, nafsi yako ikaenda mbali Mkono inatremble juu kila time Naulizana ventolin kwa inhaler haingeweza save your life? Uswara tu! Same two-thao-na-two Pops akachunwa maua, akalala akawacha redio ilicheza Remy Ongala na blues |Hook: Kamimo| Kila siku am thinking you Nakuwaza milele Kila siku am thinking you Nakuwaza milele |Verse Two: Ochuka| Ni ka risasi kwa soul Ile harakati ya kuwacha wafu kwenye chambers za morgue Au vile nyumbani voice yako kwa streets ni warrant ya kukuangusha na shots close Nchi iliuziwa mamafia, ni taxi bubu Rangi yake ni ka za disco ama underground casino In 82, Airforce VoK, Revolutionary O—C—H—UK—A Mommy never raised no punk So you know I got, warriors swimming in my blood Syria na Libya wako under radar ya drone Kila time kura inaanguka kwa box Kuna rambirambi za Kutumanishwa mother ana—mourn Nili—televise Ka Reinhardt Bonkey, Crusade ikiwasha Ndio stima hupotea na crowd Nuliuliza why Akatabasam Akasema love ina miba kwa crown Me tu ni mfungwa anangoja soul yake kufichwa kwenye clouds So lights zikienda down low Au hata curtains jukwaani zikiwa—drawn Nilinyimwa maisha ya faraja Scars zangu nikadunga na morphine nikageuka self-healer Si rubber ni metal Vitu naandika Shuttle ikivuka weather foggy za Timboroa 64-Area Code Homie wangu ako mauchawi juu ya track Kabla story yangu igeuke horror ka Saitoti kwenye helicopter Niko raw, Kabla kaseti yangu kuwachwa iki—eject—iwa na pause Two-Oh-Seven Naandika barua ya suicide Love ya mother ikanitokea chini ya candlelight So what’s love got to do widis? Walisema news ya diagnosis huwa ka ma— Tangazo ya kifo Niko chini ya MRI—machine Nime—play chess na reaper, Zile days niliambiwa staona zikawa tu ma—fantasies Hii body ime—survive battles different na ma—radhi Imebaki naambiwa tu lucky me Juu wenzangu wengi wako in too deep (True colours//true story) Ananishow, kuna sniper ako juu ya mountain top Kuna watu wako na their back against the wall Kuna mtu anaishiwa hope anangoja a—climb up the rope Three Doors Down Zangu ni mind, body na soul Hauko lethal juu mind yako haiko loaded Uko na body count juu esteem yako iko bondage Una—play god na soul yako inaishia na casket? Niko na sinker ya kuzamisha hii meli nkiwa trapped & I Can’t get out Nai-Nai inachokora body yangu Wakinivuta na trailer ndio nilazwe kwa ward So kila nikiskia beat ka hii, nostalgia hunifunika kwa soul Na—heal off memories Ka moth inakufia nuru ya stima kwa light Kwa mirror face—to—face Niko na nafsi yangu tuna—roll the dice Thinking ni mara ngapi nimekufa sija—die? Ni siku ngapi nimetumia santuri kujikinga from the, dark light? Ni days ngapi niko mwani, sijui ka nta—get by? So ukiskiza soul yako ina—cry (?) You better think twice The leap of faith, 9—1—1 accidents do not happen twice!

Track — Hands of Time (A Distant Rose, Enough) |Verse One: Ochuka| Some days you breathe, some days you don’t Some pains you need for the joy of your soul Cause memories are wars Playground grass projects a strange dance on the walls Her gibberish voices a rhyme over the ropes Dreams taste like flaws When it rains, the heart bathes in monochrome Mixing chords with the tropes Her lips move to speak unknown miracles The things we are We could marvel love, Tears of burning candles praying under the dark We could be wishes whispered to the distant stars Or we could be wreckage breaking free thru the universe We could be songs of heaven & earth The clocks stop to put time into the past Soul food Every word enough to turn a body to a church Old wounds Every key opens to flood the place where the blade is stuck We could be sad We could be fireflies singing songs to scare away the dark We could be, things dying We could be, things deserving Growing up in war, how could we stop fighting? You could be dirty bombs, The world owes you nothing You could be a bloody rose, Frankenstein rewriting the story Boots on the ground Rebel DNA, Atoms versus atoms, there’s God in the pain Tower above desolate retrograde In search of walls that don’t crumble Guards charmed with war medals We could be extinct things Though we put black & white to call grey We could be queer, misfits Everything we touch: beautiful ugly We could be souls fatally entangled We could be stencils atomically disabled Crushing through the cables Nothing is enough until you’re enough in your flaws Marvel motif back to the original form(?) We could be wild winds blowing towards home We could be grief, in the depths of a broken soul We could be nothing splitting atoms into halves We could be love We could be us. |Hook: Celine| Can we just turn back? The hands of time Can we? Can we? Can we?

Track — Jadudi (Rainy Days) Where Do we go from here? Send my soul to the universe And hope, in the quiet Y’all are somewhat listening Jeff Koinange: Last time you said you were going to recover, Jadudi Jadudi: Yeah Jeff Koinange: You said you were not gonna die? Jadudi: Yeah Jeff Koinange:I asked Omondi whether he thinks of dying, everyday. Do you think of dying Jadudi: No buana (laughing) Kanya: Unacheka nini?(smiling) Jadudi: I live like, like… I live like I am alive |Verse: Ochuka| Days are dark, only at nights do I come alive When my eyelids shut, I ask myself did we (ever) survive? I ask myself what’s the last colour you saw Before you walked through the gates that left your eyes forever closed? Before mom put her hands on you And your body was still warm Before you smiled out the war Before they looked for your pulse in vain, thinking how could you be gone? Before the afternoon bath As I wash you homie you cried, Sometimes you smiled Before my stories that only left A stream of tear on your left eye (and I didn’t know why) Before I kept telling C, you’re to us listening somewhere deep inside Before my evening walks from the hospital headphones on my ears, homie I cried Before you moved your lips as we wait for words you didn’t say for one year Before the playlist that I made for ya Before the wait, 9-hours doctors trynna put your head back together Before 9-times They put your body against the knife Before the death scares And you still came out alive Days like these, am empty and lost Nights that follow, I bleed my guts out I’m in the vehicle, far away from you And brother, am your favourite poet, I only designed this for you Writing for you, I hear my soul break and my body soak in pain Days like these, I can’t erase Your smile behind the casket window Your funeral was beautiful The world came to dance with you (one last time) On top of Dudi hills, The white clouds gathered as we sang for you Hymns for your soul Church bells Toll from a distance They swing around you with scent of burning candles Days like these, i call your number and only silence goes through Days like these I can hear your bubbly soul Clear like the fourth night of March You climbed through the doors, And i cried when your mom called It’s like I can never say goodbye As long as I breathe, your memories will never die As long as I dream, these melodies keep crossing my mind You was the party’s lifeline You was the strongest body I knew Sometimes I ask myself if we ever really survived Or we became soldiers deep in the trench We became light warriors with both our feet in the fight Sometimes I felt like we was stuck in this dusty body Black keys homie Mix them with the grey, and you can colour the stories We all saw life beyond age, and things like time We all saw things beyond pain, and the thief of our life I mock cancer, homie I curse the day, cause I wasn’t by your side And even though you gone I know the universe will be kind again And send us to the same path Where stars burst open the day of glory, for our souls to wander far |Hook: Theafrican Muhonja| This is no goodbye, my friend I still remember the memories that we shared I think about you I think about you All the time and I know you’re thinking about me too

Track — I Give You Nothing But My Soul (Memoir) Ash Aaaaaaah…aaaah Some evenings I stare at the moonlight and convince myself tomorrow I’ll be free Siku zingine I can’t feel my extension as a man So na—feel like niko on my earth way to death Still don’t believe in miracles Sometimes I view the world with a dark stare (depression) Pain stuck in my head The more you get close to God the more you question the faith No signs, What more can I do? Soon I’ll be gone, Trying to vanish Away closing ma closet Sometimes I hear voices, I see demons I hear voices of many people in my head It’s like In my early life I witnessed the death of my own heart I gave the world what it owed me And still stuck with a sad home Days like these Momma used to say there will be But what’s that When you’re stuck in your own illusion? When it I take My last breath And my life is over Who will try to sample my blue symphonies to remember my pain? My mind is becoming unstable I’m frustrated, What I feel in this body is terrible So confusing, what part of the universe are these broken aspects? Is grief an immutable thing? So fuck if you can’t feel my pain Yo, wanasema cure ya pain Iko ndani ya hio pain Journey imekuwa retrograde Ile najiangalia kwa kioo, Na—feel nika naeza—bleed kwa hii pen Soul yangu ime—breach faith Ilifika point wanajadili ka watavuta plug inanipea pumzi kwa breath Hii ndio gani men? Niko na clock iko broken kwenye vein Sometimes si una—imagine eulogy yangu jo iko late? Na—seduce time na chemo poison, Pia pills Ndio body yangu is—die grey Nime—call nyumbani home, Call iki—hung Najua hadithi yangu ndio itakuwa sorrow next So nimemwaga wino for all ma wounded friends Ananishow Rose hainaga why Inajikuza through the pain, Mtaani ma—homie wanajiuliza, “Nigga why?” Kila November naona shots zangu za Osborne Masharia Ilibidi ni-cry out ndio nipone cancer kwa maini na bone marrow Nigga we won but, Nika healing enyewe ni gift imejawa na curse Cancer imeua wengi Juu yao tumeweka machozi na plus Najiuliza mbona kila track nimeangukia hutokea tu vi—sad? Maua scars kichwani nina—blossom Beyond memory trauma, time na space Sometimes na—feel nka kuishi kwangu ni crime Najifunza ku—maneuver through darkness (ma dear child) Uliko far, Ndio maana kila beat nime—stab Soul yangu ndio ni—bleed out my life Wanasema like love, grief? (Non—negotiable) Sorrow occupies my core It’s like Tiny clusters of atoms in ma body, Beautiful struggles Regardless of ma (ugly flaws) I feel the presence of ma daughter flow thru ma fingers Kila verse imebeba memoir So ukiskiza hii jam, Viens danser avec moi Sometimes usiku na—cry Sometimes spirit yangu ni nightmares tu na phantoms Kuna ile point ya nafsi yangu siezi—fathom Kuna ile pain inanifuata kila day siezi—handle Life ishaniguza code, Nangoja ni—reset universe iko ndani yangu, I cry a lot Wounds zangu zimegeuka chumvi, Sometimes mziki ime—fail kunituliza, Sieziji—console I carry memories, I am a flower made of old wounds Na—feel truth yangu iko unstable kwa coma Sometimes na—feel hawanielewi, Wako outside ma Bleeding spot Sometimes na—feel lonely Mind Iko na blemish, Nika nimebeba a crown of thorns It’s like everytime I heal, I die once more Huni—show ni—keep breathing Breathing Breathing Najiuliza niko alive Ama ni ghosts zangu zina—nikeep bleeding? Sometimes na—feel nika trauma yangu iko frozen within Do you feel me? Momma usedta say siku njema zita—come, Hold on Love yangu for you haiezikuwa stolen Najikumbusha kila sura ya loved ones wako fallen Although we carry scars We heal as one and dance under the sun, moon and stars Saa ingine najiambia labda uchungu ni mwanzo wa kupona, men Too many days niko kwa ile side ya mauti ya gun Niko overloaded na scars, Labda tomorrow Soul itanifunza ku—love Dunia paradox Beauty yake tragic, Nangoja soul yangu iko stuck kwa journey ina—take stroll Nikifunga macho naona heart yangu ina—dry out Kila cell ndani yangu imegeuka jela ya kuni—destroy soul Seven years na baado na—sustain glory na pills Hello from the outside Future yangu ishanipea goodbye soul: Damn Have been seeing demons since I was 6 And the devil keeps whispering to my soul Sometimes I feel like All my moments on this earth ni another sad song Suicide rolling in my head We are just nightmares walking hoping for tomorrow My soul is talking in grey And every second I look in the mirror I see my eyes Slavery in my eyes 7 years but still popping pills to live, homie Fighting my sanity So every moment the beat comes my soul ina—whisper for victory What’s the point of being happy when your soul is still low? Life imetu—turn kuwa serial killersChocking let go Ama ni—die na masterpiece utadhani Van Gongh Chozi Zimekuwa miaka saba tangu haya maagizo yaanze Mafikra zangu fanani Kwenye Kilio Cha darubini hadhira inangoja wasifu ifuate Ilianza na mkirizo mbaya Kwa hio simu ya kabambe Vidonda vyangu ndio mbolea, Nangoja maua yangu nipambwe Kungoja nafsi yangu ipone Pichangu inanifilisi, Safari ya kufunikwa kivuli kwa bonde Hazina similiki, Hadithi Ilianza tafsiri mbaya kwa hio ripoti nkapewa vidonge Hatima ni mkongwe Wanasema safari haikuji na fahamu za kitakachotokea, nawapa pole Nadondoa taswira ya kichwa Moja baada ya nyingine Kalamu inavuja wino, Mtazamo Napojikwaa Najibadilisha nafsi ndio ninusurike Vikwazo vingine Hatua zangu za kubahatisha tu Safari picha tu, Sinema kisha sauti za kusadikika juu Kivuli cha dunia kimeelekezwa kwangu Sifanikiwi, Waliokuwa close walniambia Oh karibu oh karibu kwangu Nikawachwa kwa mataa Simu ukipiga, “Boy wangu nakuona very soon.” Mafikra zimeharibika kwa kichwa, Gharika kila saa Pesa mali na stats ndio huletanga marafiki huku Nina mauti kwa maini Niliambiwa stawahiishi longer days, Yaani Naitazama journey Vile hii soul imefika mbali Najua wengi wanadie lonely Ndani Ni ka days nangoja donor kwa list Kipaza vitu sad, Wengi hawakujuwa niliji—cure ndani ya beat Zillikuwa mitazamo tu Nafeel nika nimeishi overtime Nimestahimili pressure Ambayo iligeuza wengi mifupa wako ndani ya matope And if I Die Today Let it breathe Fanya kweli, Roho yangu haioni kesho Fanya kaseti, Nyimbo zangu peponi zinablow If I Die Today sing for me When I find myself in times trouble Mother Mary sing for me Meli yangu ikizama leo, Let it be Let my diary bruise with the ink Let my truth bloom a memory of nights My stories untold In my songs you’ll find the meanings of my sorrows Mellow melodies They say your graves are in your memories If I Die Today let it breathe I lost my body and found ecstasy When my soul retreat Nikifa leo, msiangushe chozi kwenye script Finally, home, Nanusa flowers tamu sio portion na pills Shamba yangu chafu Blow my dust to the winds Naongezewa jina na tafsiri kwenye scrolls Nakwenda zangu bush, Penye maua black rose Death: Garden of the soul Raindrops Threads of life Passing through Time Every inch of my life All gone Into time, renovated A lost moment of dawn Stays among tears of heavens tears on the grass (tears on the grass) (tears of the grass) A flaw re- Defined In rivers that don’t die emptied into the sea In rivers that don’t die empty of the sea (to everyone going through something, this one for you) Spoken Outro: Ochuka It took strenuous stretch of years, alienated away from the spots of surviving, to realise that I could only feel better if I am honest with myself. Straight, no self-justification. And that’s not a sustainable lesson. Because what it thrived on was the burden of self. That, perhaps, all the darkness I was battling under somewhat rooted back to times of abandonment or at least having felt like a label of metaphors – carrying tags of sympathy, ruined by closest support systems than distant ones. I was of the truth that it was actually a shame and an irredeemable pain to have survived terminal cancer. The guilt of having to justify why some days felt like human indignation. I asked myself, “What was my story?” And it all boiled down to improper historical generations from right in the middle of my family to a whole web of a bubble abundance, out there. Tragedies are uncalled for, yes. They ruin every aspect of perfect evolution of humanness and turns life into mirages and echoes of trying to sew through, whatever the patch, anything that justifies being. You see life, life has these little plays. Everyday’s an experience that remind us that there is a possibility (that) things can go (a) better direction or worse or another.

Track – Smile |Verse One: Ochuka| I turn to these wounds when times are trouble And I know you would heal me if I got stubbed by the arrow I hold you deep Like a river cherishing it’s soul, as it flows so it breathes It’s like the Kodak film in the dark The tape rolls to freeze a moment of the spark A rare spot of memory Like from the ashes of love, When my fingers cross the keys, I can see you smile for me I envy the garden you grow The black colour on your belly The melanin sand on your skin The brown pods floating on your leaking eyes The Nubian tower of marvel, Let me spill the midnight oil on your lips (Hush) (let me recite) The nilote charmer, Blending with my poems lover My luo thing, jaber ma—jasunga My boo thing, neye kakichodo chunya The bantu savanna grass, Swaying through the winds before the rains Arabic dance, I go crazy when i reminisce Of times i miss you, and I think my sounds won’t heal I love it when your lips curve When say you love your coffee black And when it pours, You that perfect scent of wet earth Come to my grass thatched The drizzle mingles with the sound of soft thuds The red volcano soils erupt Mix with the cotton black, I love the sound of your laughter You stubborn whenever you flower You fly hot, tastes like gunpowder Kintsugi, You mend my broken soul with your blush And when you sleep Is like, Quiet storm I hold your head against my hurting chest And I know am finally home Finally clutching my eyes to the lighthouse Finally scribbled a note on the shores of my doubts I break a little When you hear how my heart struggles to beat You say you’re scared cause my breath has wars you could never defeat I hold safe enough To see your wings, open to the vague weather, It’s tough I know Just the right salt in your tears whenever you sad I know The towing you do for me whenever my days are stuck |Hook: Shaerif| Smile for me Nitatabasamu Smile for me ei Ninasema nitatabsamu oooh ooh |Verse Two: Ochuka| I see you I adore you I feel you I long, for you I also know The magic in your words I ain’t know how to pray but i trust your love I’m heavy with these poems but the light in me uplifts my soul’s feathers Heaven and earth One is a canvas the other a mirror Through starry nights, I soak you with the filaments of my brush The paint cries The words rebirth, the ink never dries Six to my number nine Energy seeds plant Beautiful bosoms for my child I can use the holes in my bones to beg the moon to be kind I’m sorry for the times I’ve broken you And made you feel sad Sometimes I think i ain’t deserve you Sometimes I’m a ran-away, The pain makes me feel like, I ain’t deserve love Sometimes The chaff burns to leave my seeds of faith refined My best dance is when I surrender to the sure hands of time And I guess when a soul truly finds home that’s when it dies And I bless you, baby love and light I fear for my life and my child’s Cause now my breed murder like monsters, Who’s gone hear the woman cry? Cause now they put a currency on her head why? I think of all the things that you been through I think of the rainforest, With the echo of your blues The canopies reflect, The grey clouds over your roof Your river flows Your flowers grow Wither and turn to powders of war when you watching the moon Like grandma’s love Aroma of nice food cooking When you hum songs from your soul Like grandeur of my craft The glory of life is that the simple things can actually make you smile Instead of watching for skies waiting for signs Instead of dropping the dice before the odds align Instead of breaking, I watch the future unfold with you by my side When we cross the river and our souls combine Lay beside me Let’s watch night skies and fireflies Let’s dance under stars, write poems and feel alive Let’s break free wide open Like two alchemists, exchanging arteries and pollen

Track — Moyo (Life Support) |Theafrican Muhonja| Sitabaki chini, Nitasimama tena Yote haya yatapita. Sitabaki chini, Nitasimama tena Yote haya yatapita. Sitabaki chini, Nitasimama tena Yote haya yatapita. Sitabaki chini, Nitasimama tena Yote haya yatapita. Ewe moyo wangu tulia Usifadhaike na mambo ya dunia Ninajua kuna mengi yanakuvunja moyo Usilie (Don’t cry) Usilie (Please don’t cry) Utasimama (Yeah) Utatembea (Yeah) Utatabasamu tena moyo (Dua) Utaongea Utawaponya Wote waliovunjika mioyo... (Dua) Hivyo tulia Tulia Tulia Hivyo moyo wangu (Tulia, tulia, tulia, tulia) Hivyo tulia (Tulia, tulia, tulia) (Just heal, just heal, do heal) |Outro: Ochuka| Hear my soul on this one This goes to everyone out there You and you and you To all of us