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  • I Know I Shouldn’t

    by Ben Ayuko

    {image by Cornell Chronicle}

     

    I feel like if I, acknowledge the past

    it means that it happened, that it will out last

    If I were to hide, from it in a pit

    It wouldn’t have meaning, nothing to admit

     

    But who it affected, would not just abide

    from out the woodwork, they’d emerge alive

    to keep me accounted, counting my sins

    making me witness, again and again

     

    If I were to ask, forgiveness from they

    I would be admitting to my past mistakes

    and that would mean, indeed they were right

    how could I sleep with myself tonight

     

    No, I know better, planned it out well

    I’ll take them out, to dine and to dwell

    a wonderful night, out in the city

    with banter to laugh at, funny and witty

     

    Till it’s getting late, so get in the car

    I’ll drive them home, ill drive them far

    I’ll take them where, they can’t see no human

    I’ll take them there because they know too much

     

    Bury them deep, right next to my secrets

    With skeletons rotten and they’re holding them dearest

    And now I can act, like it didn’t happen

    Back of my mind, where they must reside in

     

     

  • The Million Pound Note

    by Ben Ayuko

    {image by MGM}

     

    This is one of Mark Twain’s classic stories

    Henry Adams is an American Sailor who finds himself stranded in the middle of England without a penny to his name. He struggles to find work because of his disheveled appearance. Nobody thinks of him as anything more than a crook. A hustler. A fiend waiting to take advantage of them the moment they show him a hair’s breadth of trust. This is unfortunate for him, but incredibly fortunate for Roderick and Oliver Montpellier.

    Roderick and Oliver are 2 billionaire brothers who are having a heated debate. Roderick figures, if you give a poor man a million-pound note, he would have found trouble spending the money as nobody would be able to break it down. Oliver, on the other hand, believes the mere existence of the note would be enough to change the poor man’s life and he wouldn’t need to spend a penny to get anything he wanted. Roderick and Oliver can’t seem to agree with each other’s point of view. But they have no way to test their hypotheses. That is, until Henry Adams walks into their lives.

    They commissioned a million-pound note from the bank and gave it to Henry. The only rule they gave him was that he had avoid spending any money in the next 30 days. Succeed, and they would give him anything he wanted (a job). Fail, and they’d take whatever remained and throw him back out on the street. Now, why did they do this? Why give a desperate man a million pounds and dare him not to spend it? Well, what else is there to do when you have everything you could possibly want for and still are a billionaire?

    So, Henry goes out into the world. The first thing he does is satiate his stomach. He’s famished. Immediately there’s a problem. the meal costs approximately £10. He only has a million-pound note. The moment he shows it to them, these men who once threw him out for being too poor to eat at their restaurant suddenly changed face and became the most benevolent of creatures that ever-walked the earth. His entire bill for the meal was ripped up as a man of his standing would surely sort them out in the long run.

    This was the case everywhere he went. He got clean clothes, a room at the most expensive Hotel. A rental car with a driver, etc., because of the reputation he now commanded. He became the most popular man in town. He could alter the value in the stock market with an accidental slip of the tongue. And this is where his problems began.

    It is a very sombre satire on the line that divides the lives of those with and those without. On the power of perception.

  • Team Kenya

    by Ben Ayuko

    {image by @Teamkenya/x.com}

     

    Team Kenya to represent our country at the Olympics has been finalized. It contains 37 members {22 Men and 15 Women} all spread out across 16 events.

    Notable inclusions include Ferdinand Omanyala representing our country in the 100m; he’ll be looking to achieve his first ever medal on the world stage as well as Kenya’s first ever podium finish in the 100m event on the grandest of stages.    

    Another is Eliud Kipchoge. After he broke the internet with the INEOS challenge, Kipchoge will be looking to make even more history when he represents our country in the Marathon.

    Samuel Gathimba is another inclusion just for the absurdity of it. I mean, obviously I wish him the best of luck, I just didn’t know we had any contestants representing us in the Race-Walking event.

    Faith Kipyegon, the current defending Olympic Champion and World Record Holder in the 1500m, is also going and she is sure to give us something to cheer about from here at home.

    Beatrice Chebet, who has been described as “sweet and humble in person, but a lioness on the track”, just recently shattered the world record in the 10,000m and she will surely be aiming for some more fireworks at the Olympic Games. Of course, she will be coming up against Faith Kipyegon in the 5000m, so that rivalry might be something to watch on the day.

    Those are just some names to watch out for, but really, we should watch out for all of them and give them all the support they deserve when the time comes.

  • Fatal Mistake

    by Ben Ayuko

    {image by Nation Media}

     

    She was so spent at the end of the day

    She spent it all, with patients and patients

    And patients became, faceless, the same

    screaming in unison, “I need a doctor”

     

    So, write up a chart, she did this for him in

    Sent him to the back where they’re waiting for him

    “Really? it’s just my hand feeling pain here

    but the doctor’s the doctor, so I have to adhere

     

    But the doctor’s so tired, from working all day

    He’s feeling so drowsy, really needs to lay

    Stripping him down so in scrubs she can dress him

    To get him to surgery for his hand swelling

     

    Enter the theatre, the doctors are ready

    Give him anesthetic, he sleeps like a baby

    Envious, when feeling, they get down to drilling

    and sawing his skull open for the revealing

     

    “This guy is clean, are we sure he’s sick”

    “Yeah, they said that the clot was this thick”

    “Where is his chart, where was it again?”

    “DOCTOR, STOP OPERATING ON HIM!”

     

    In rushed the nurse, too late she was

    The man’s skull cracked open, bleeding on the floor

    “This man on the table, who you’re addressing

    He came to hospital only for a swelling”

     

    “What do you mean? So where is my patient?”

    “Recovering. Now. On his own. It’s amazing

    Seems like he won’t even need operating”

    “Jesus, we’ve cut this man open for nothing”

     

    Patching him up, and sending him home

    They waived the fee, that’s what he was told

    He couldn’t remember, not a lot of it

    Of course, this was just the start of this habit

     

    3 years of pain, delusion and memory

    lapse, of way too many episodes that

    remained after the incident

    And they didn’t know no-one reached out to them

     

    Not till it was too late, were they to have found

    Not till his future was buried in the ground

    Not till he’d succumb to the consequence of it

    Did they find the truth of what really had happened

     

     

     

    Family of patient wrongly operated on at KNH want justice for their son (youtube.com)

     

     

  • The Moral Agreement

    by Ben Ayuko

    contact info: benayuko@gmail.com

    {Photo courtesy of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee/Twitter}

     

    The Tennessee governor, Bill Lee, has just approved a very interesting bill set to take effect on July 1st, 2024.

    This bill legislates the approval of the death penalty for any human being convicted of crimes against children, rape especially. This means that any person convicted of child abuse can legally receive a sentence ranging from life in prison, life without possibility of parole or sentenced to death believed to be done by lethal injection. This, obviously begs the question, is this, okay?

    Most people, I assume, would be of the frame of mind that anybody committing crimes against defenseless people/animals should get what is coming to them. It’s like in a movie, when the terrifying school bully comes across somebody tougher than him and is then humiliated in front of the very people he has been terrorizing. It’s karma at its finest. Tit for tat. An eye for an eye. It is fair.

    However, there’s the school of thought that teaches, “an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.” Teaches that one should learn to turn the other cheek. That murder is a sin directly opposed to the 6th commandment of God and anybody who partakes of it is irredeemable. It’s quite the moral dilemma.

    What is the greater good? Is it the safety of the community or eternal life in heaven? Is it enough to simply repent? Will the pedophile be granted access to heaven after repenting the same way you would for murdering him? Could sacrificing your position by God’s side for safety of the community you live in be enough of a gesture for God to permit you into heaven?

    It’s a lot to think about. But one thing that we can all agree on:

    Nobody wants to live in a community with a child abuser.

     

     

  • Nairobi Today

    by Ben Ayuko

    contact info: benayuko@gmail.com

    {image by Ben Ayuko}

     

    So, once again it repeats

    The people, they want to speak

    We didn’t like it before

    Now we just don’t believe

     

    The reason we roam the streets

    In t-shirts and ripped up jeans

    And sweaters in sweltering heat

    And boots with laces thick

     

    And blouses with purses hanging

    The music it could be banging

    The blaring horns are wilding

    In combat with constant sirens

     

    “Enough is enough,” we’re crying

    Holding up and waving our signs in

    The middle of cityscape, no escape

    You will listen this time

     

    Canisters, they blow up so loud

    To try and deafen the crowd

    Blowing them up to chunks

    Separating their body parts

     

    But the spirit is still intact

    “You’ll have to bring more than that”

    You try to stifle the people

    The people they will react

     

     

     

     

     

  • Throwing down the gauntlet

    by Ben Ayuko

    {image by the Guardian}

     

    The Euro 2024 got underway on Friday, and it’s been a brilliant first weekend. A lot of goals scored. Players reveling in the pressure that comes with representing your country.

    Germany opened the tournament in style in front of their home crowd with an entertaining 5-1 demolition of 10-man Scotland. They look like a team reborn under their new coach Julian Nagelsmann and such a result may be an omen of things to come and a sign that other teams should be wary of their ambition to go all the way to the final.

    Spain overcome some difficult spells in their game against Croatia to take all 3 points in what turned into a comfortable 3-0 victory. The young squad they have seems to have gelled together really well under their new captain Alvaro Morata (who opened the scoring) and such as result against strong opposition shows a sign of intent that we should watch out for further along into the tournament.

    Italy, the current holders, look to make amends for a poor World Cup campaign in Qatar and they started that off with a 2-1 victory against Albania thanks to a scorcher of a finish from outside the box by Nicolo Barella (the goal of the tournament, so far). It is yet unclear whether or not Italy can defend their title, but that opening day victory certainly holds them in good stead.

    England, finalists in the previous Euro tournament, survived a second half onslaught from Serbia as they managed to see out a 1-0 victory, courtesy of a goal by Jude Bellingham. It was far from a convincing performance, but they got the job done and have set themselves up in the best way for the rest of the tournament.

    Netherlands had to dig deep and be patient in order to get passed an inspired Poland side that seemed intent on ruining their party. It took a goal by substitute Wout Weghorst in the 83rd minute to give them the lead for the first time in the match as they then saw the game out at 2-1. Having got to the World Cup quarter finals, there is some curiosity over what this team can do in this tournament. They are by no means the favourites, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that they couldn’t just go out and win the whole thing. They are definitely one to watch.

    There are still some top teams left to play, e.g. France, Portugal, Belgium, etc., but if they play like we know they can, this might turn out to be one of the most competitive Euro tournaments we have ever seen.

  • Our Own Bolt

    by Ben Ayuko

    {image by Pulse Sport Kenya}

    Ferdinand Omanyala, Kenya’s very own answer to Usain Bolt, once again dominated the track in the 100m, this time at the Olympic Trials held in Nyayo Stadium. He clocked an impressive 9.79s which is the fastest time recorded in the world in this calendar year (2024). He is clearly a special talent, and it shows in his ability to consistently deliver in these events.

    There may have been some doubt regarding his standing with the rest of the world, which in some parts of the Kenyan athletics fandom still exists, but that is no longer in question after witnessing him go blow for blow against the current best sprinters in the world time and time again, and time and time come out in the mix at the top end of the field. He’s come out on top once or twice in these competitions, but more often than not, he comes up short against the best. Surely it’s only a matter of time though

    The Diamond League track meet in Monaco on June 2nd is a good example. Omanyala came up against the American, Christian Coleman, who was the 100m world champion in 2019. Coleman is a sprinter with pedigree having gone up against the likes of Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin multiple times, coming out on top. He is literally at the spearhead of the new age sprinter’s generation. This is no ordinary match up. Omanyala put his best foot forward, as he often does, but he could only muster up a 2nd place finish…by 3/100ths of a second. That’s not a lot.

    Now, obviously he did suffer heartbreak in Budapest, 2023 world championships when he came 7th. I’m sure that must have hurt his confidence in himself a lot. But it was his debut season in the championship. Getting to the final was impressive in and of itself.

    As a Kenyan interested in athletics, it’s a bit of an anomaly to see one of our own competing on such a grand stage in this event. Kenyans are usually known for long distance running so seeing him break the Mould in such dramatic fashion is thoroughly entertaining to watch and everyone should be behind him as he attempts to do what no other Kenyan has really done in our history.

     

  • Just One More Goal

    by Ben Ayuko

    {image by SMCP}

     

    China went into the final day of the World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign needing a single point to guarantee safe passage ahead of Thailand into the next round of games. Now as much as that may seem like a very doable task, they were coming up against South Korea, the group leaders and one of the toughest teams in international football across the world, let alone in Asia. It was either that or pray for a miracle from an out of form Singapore team who only had only managed to secure a single point across all 5 group games. China was in the driving seat, and they needed to put in a professional performance to calm the supporters’ nerves and grab that last qualification spot firmly with both hands.

    So of course, they only went and lost 1-0 to South Korea.

    And Thailand was just about to kick off against Singapore, the worst team in the group (by far). Should they win the game with a 3-goal deficit (which was very doable against a team that had conceded more goals than every other team in the group combined and then some) then there was nothing China could do to rebuttal. It would’ve been all over. And Thailand knew it. And China knew it. And Singapore knew it. Everybody knew it. And maybe that was it. Maybe that’s what drew out such a performance. The atmosphere was crying out for somebody to step up and claim the moment. But nobody told Singapore’s number 1 that it wasn’t meant to be HIS moment.

    40yr old Hassan Sunny, claiming his 115th cap for his country, just rained the mother of all typhoons onto Thailand’s parade. They did not see him coming. Making a whopping 11 saves across the 90 minutes to keep Thailand at bay, Sunny all but assured China’s safe progress into the next round. I mean sure, Thailand won the game comfortably at 3-1, but they needed one more goal. One more goal to get them over the line. One more goal to push them closer to their dream.

    Of course, if China had scored 1 more goal in their game, then it wouldn’t even matter. Heck, I probably wouldn’t even know who Hassan Sunny is. But as things stand, not only do I know of his glory, but he is also a Bonafide legend in China.

    Chinese citizens can’t get enough of him at the moment. Whether it’s making him a trending topic on social celebrating his heroics, flocking at the restaurant he owns in his home country, or sending him money online just to say thank you to him.

    An excerpt from The Straits times reads:

    The 40-year-old told The Straits Times after a training session at the Jurong East Stadium on June 14: “This experience is a whole level of different, definitely unforgettable.

    “Of course, it’s crazy to get so much support from foreign fans, some of them even flew in from China yesterday just to visit my stall.

    Lions goalkeeper Hassan Sunny to donate money from China football fans to charity | The Straits Times

    Hassan Sunny walked out on the pitch on Tuesday 11th, June just like he always did when ready to represent his country; ready to give what he had and hope for the best. Who would have thought that, at 40yrs old- near retirement age for a goalkeeper, that day would produce probably one of, if not, THE biggest moment of his entire footballing career?

     

  • Wake Up

    by Ben Ayuko

    {picture by JADOKAR}

     

    If spaceships were real, and they could fly

    Why would I bother flying out in the sky

    When no other drug could compare to this high

    No type of relief could make me this sigh

    No shining celestial, no moon or stars

    Could ever shine brighter than my mind in the dark

    No galaxy far a away or nebula cloud

    Could glisten as brilliant as what I’m seeing now

     

     

    Then I wake up, I’m feeling fine

    But I sense something deep inside

    Is this real? Is it in my mind?

    I can’t stop counting all the times

    I’ve tried to get myself to see

    This stuff I’m doin isn’t good for me

    I’m trapped inside this world of slime

    This world of old, this world of mine

    This world on hold, is out of time

    And I need to get to get out of this lie

    It’s Ever present , was always here

    From Time started and still it’s here

    But Chaos streaming now through the sphere

    The bubble burst, out came the tears

    The captain jumps ship, oh my dear

    The eyes unveiled, the truth is here

    The illusion broken, the blood is near

    This IS real, This’ real fear