Lost In The Stars

LOST IN THE STARS By Andy Awiti


The rocks stood there, defenceless against the might of the waves,

Battering, crushing them, with every back and forth chipping off it morsels

Each time carving a cave into the cliff’s imposing countenance

And with every gush, the crumbs are swept off into the strangest of seas

Once a permanent scar on that face, the smile now fades,

Soul and heart wearing out, sated with hurt, weighed down

Hope is the thing that once sang a tune without the words

Now all but ear-piercing silence remains

The pebbles drift like rafters on the waters, shifting from side to side

Warring with the waves and swayed by opinion whispered by the winds

Evidently lost, wading from shore to shore,

Against, and in tune with, the abrasive synchrony of the elements

The out-of-tune screeches of the silence are not meant for the ears

The rays of despair burn into once solid, sun-kissed skin

Throughout the uncertainty a prayer is muttered to the gods of hope,

And for strength, to the gods of the above and everything in between

Coarse sand on the shore, a testament to tests endured and failed

Remnants of what was, a glimpse into what could be with time

Parts of an unidentified whole, scattered to comprise corners unknown

An existence at the mercy of nature, a force of which little is understood

At times favours sought emerge, draped in the guise of shadows of ghosts

Coupled by emaciating terrors never before felt, crawling through every vein

And bringing down to knees the strongest of the mighty

Some will rise again, as others of weaker will plunge into abysmal depths

One a master of own fate, the other enslaved by all encompassing

Whether to stir the waters when the reflection peering back does not appease

Or to abide by the whims of the circumstances that prevail

It is not in the stars to hold one’s destiny, but in self


Andy Awiti

I am an artistically minded communication and branding consultant who enjoys writing. Besides writing poetry, I have contributed, to various newspapers including the Business Daily, Kenya’s leading business newspaper, on a variety of business subjects including technology, finance and small enterprises, and social commentary.

I also run a blog – Boy Meets Word, https://boymeetsword.wordpress.com/ – largely dedicated to introspective poetry with bits of social commentary.

With my passion for poetry and prose, I find it difficult to picture how mundane life is for those blind to the colour of words.