Joseph R. Alila

Rateng' and Bride: (A Poem) Joseph R. Alila

In the epic poem "RATENG' AND BRIDE" by Joseph R Alila (the author of such novels as "Whisper to My Aching Heart" and "Sunset on Polygamy"), the poet pleads with the hero (Rateng') to abandon a lifelong ambition of reigning in an elusive Bride, to redeem his honor and Ramogi people's collective pride. Of Rateng's elusive Bride--call her Power, Leadership or The Presidency--Alila reminds his hero of her corrupting, material allure and deadly charms; that like a gem, a Powerful Presidency corrupts everybody it touches, and its corrupting effects linger like the nauseating smell of a scared skunk. Employing rich imagery and proverbs, and never shy to go Luo vernacular with proverbs, in "RATENG' AND BRIDE", Alila has played his satirical hand, again, and demonstrated his knowledge of the political landscape of Kenya.