Written piece
The Eldest at the Fire
Edward Okaroni
Kenya
About this piece
The poem shows a Kenyan elder child handling fights, taking care of the fire, and dealing with hunger while Mom asks for order. The fire is both a stove and a source of conflict. Everything stays chaotic until the food is ready, showing how care and patience can create peace.
Siblings fight, snapping at each other, tense;
I crouch, tending the fire, no need for pretense.
My mouth grows weary of blowing, my belly cries
with hunger. Mum roars, her eyes lit like skies.
“Why are they fighting?” she shouts, loud and clear.
“You’re the eldest...stop them!” Her voice draws near.
Quietly, tears roll as I stand in the chaos;
I struggle to calm them as the cooking pot boils.
I strain to hear her harsh words as she yells,
Later, I say, “Food is ready,” as the aroma swells,
Turning the house’s commotion into a soothing hum.
At last, the house no longer throbs like a drum.