Philo Ikonya is a Kenyan writer, journalist and human rights activist, and presently Oslo City of Refuge's ICORN Guest Writer. She was elected president of Kenyan PEN in 2007. Ikonya has written articles for journals, web magazines and blogs, often commenting on the social and political situation in Kenya. She has also written poetry and novels, and her novel "Kenya, will you marry me", has been translared and published in several countries. She has worked as a lecturer of Spanish at Tangaza College of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, and as a a socio-political commentator in both radio and television. Philo Ikonya was threatened and harassed for her work and political activism, and can no longer work in Kenya.
I turn into love
At times like this,
when the key is turned,
clockwise,
and deprivation my lone friend
is conquered as doors open;
I turn into love.
A true flower grows,
abundance walks in,
removing all borders
like it should have always been.
I sit on the drought
And dream of floods
undestructive.
I sit on grass
And see plenty of flowers
growing, uncut;
surrounding me and going outwards
for miles and smiles and far lands apart
surrounding me and you and all.
We fly.
But for you who turned the key,
to open the door and,
all growing flowers
into smiles of joy turn,
I turn into love.
And if the border police should urn me back to the drought,
and leave me in desert sands,
lost to all hearts that know me,
and
from you too;
who is life's meaning.
I will see a drop of water
coming, thawing,de-freezing, from far lands,
growing, flowing into my eye.
Then,
glowing into a flood of thoughts warm of how
to keep our arms working
and around each other.
A flood of words on how to keep
the grass grassing wisdom and the flowers
flowering love;
like sunflowers clockwise,
the desert cool and flooding too, into
An oasis for life,
not deserting.
I turn into love again and again.
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