train journeys

I love the sitting arrangement

I get to stare directly at a complete stranger

At least until another stranger stands in line of sight

Staring daggers

Sending chills and shivers

To a person I barely recognize

Oh yes It does

I see them squirm in their seats

And, albeit momentarily, well in my heart it sits

It is enjoyable

Seeking yourself in others

Making up stories of who they may be

And where they could be off to so early

The preacher that shouts more than they preach

Maybe they are compensating for what they cant do at home

A part of a sermon that call for assertion

Or simply a tool of the trade

Of the lady that pouts

Has been pouting it is three days in a row

What can keep one sulking that long

There are stubborn passengers at the front

Or is it back

They would rather squeeze at the entrance

Than find their way to the center

Crammed like screws and wires in a socket

No one remembers the pickpockets

Yet it’s all I thought of from the onset

A congregation of different folk

All with the intent to get to town

All looking outside but no one seeing things the same

A dog lies by the side of the tracks

Blank stares

A drunken man trying to make his way out of a ditch

Blank stares

A couple tearing each other apart

BLANK STARES!

Few grimaces, winces and guffaws though

Little elicits reaction

Even fewer warrant it judging by looks

It is a trained look

Harnessed and perfected over time

Sour grapes and lime

That is the life of constantly looking for the next dime

I try

I try very hard to look at the life that goes on for others

To look at the world from my 200 meter squared frame

In a different way

I force myself to look at something and make a positive

I see a makeshift tin shack

I will cost you 5 shillings = 0.06 dollars

To shower here

Right beside the tracks it must be thrilling

In my naiveté I want to be allowed to think it is

It is easy to get lost in all that is bad

Easy to find where to cast blame

It is easy to find alternate ways to get to the city

But despite the strong concoction of human scents

The lifeless stares that are shared

And the momentary lapse of superpowers over my opposite seating neighbor

I am loving the train journeys by the day

*and I hope the Matatu Strikes continue 

I am just kidding

Sunday: when buildings and streets are at play

The clouds were just teasing me. "Take this photo they said"

The story of a one and another one. One one was red the other one was green. These two ones met at a junction and tried to outwit each other. Can you guess which one won?

The guard at the end was fast asleep.

Three stumps, I was thinking three blind mice.

I would love to do a series on the murals and calligraphy on the Nairobi walls. Very creative artists out there.

"We are on a straight line I know what you think you see, but that is simply perspective!"

"Straight! You see clearly now?"

See how they run. See how they run. They just stood there and watched though.

We look better at certain angles on others not quite. Come closer let us show you.

The other half of me.

On the other end lies the unknown.

"By my time you should be home young man!"

"Is this really my good side?"

"I feel like you are peeking at me"

The white dome in the city.

"Aaaah, I am more relaxed from here, shoot away"

Taj Mal by night on bus. I love this photo.

I think on Sunday Nairobi comes out to play
Its so much fun to look at the buildings and streets
On an idle Sunday when the streets are not filled with busy individuals
You can almost see the buildings move about in their relaxation
Moving to the beats that only they can hear
Casting their shadow in architectural ways
They do something
Something different
I still haven't got a handle on what it is yet 
But
I think Nairobi comes out to play.