Yalipowashika, magonjwa na njaa, na umasikini 

Mukahangaika, kwa zenu fadhaa, kusaka auni

Mukatawanyika, kukimbia baa, kwenda ugenini 

Mukamiminika, mote kasambaa, kote mabarani 

Nako kapokewa 

Mukaauniwa 

Mwengine mukawa, kwa yenu khiyana, munamukoloni 

Taaluma yake ni Rasilimaliwatu, lakini fani yake ni ushairi. Jina lake ni Ali Mohammed, mshairi kutoka visiwani Zanzibar.

We agreed to have an election and not the war
We agreed to have open and fair campaign
We agreed to listen to the voice from the ballot box
But for your treachery
All that we agreed 
You easily tore them up
Then you started your perfidy
Your banditry
And full of hooliganism!

Sakina Taki, a poet from Nairobi, has found her peace in Zanzibar and for that she chose to launch her poetry collection, My Little Yellow Book, on the island. She speaks about healing, redemption, and redefining space, existence and essence.
#ThePoetcast
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Ni nadra siku mbili kupita bila kukutana na shairi lake mtandaoni. Ni kama kwamba analielezea kila jambo maishani kwa njia ya ushairi.  Anaamini ushairi ni rahisi, ni halisi na ni mwepesi. Jina lake ni Mfaume Khamis, na lakabu yake ni Mshairi Machinga. 

Mara nyingi, Waswahili hurejelea misamiati inayohusu mambo ya baharini kwenye fasihi yao. Kuna misemo na methali kadhaa zinazowagusanisha Waswahili na bahari, na sababu ni kuwa wao ni watu wa pwani. Msikilize Ali Othman Hamad kwenye Mshairikasti.

Many a time, Swahili people engage in sea affairs when talking about issues in their literature, because they are people of the seas. So say Ali Othman Hamad, an experienced sailor from Zanzibar.

Nina furaha ya kumualika kwenye MSHAIRIKASTI mshairi kijana na mwenye kipaji wa Kiswahili kutoka Tanzania, Bashiru Abdallah, ambaye amechapisha diwani yake ya pili iitwayo Wino wa Dhahabu.

I am very glad to invite to THE POETCAST the young talented Swahili poet from Tanzania, Bashiru Abdallah, who has recently published his second book, Wino wa Dhahabu (The Golden Ink). 

About six years ago, I had an opportunity to meet with Adi Keissar, an Israeli poet with Yemeni heritage, in Bayreuth - a city in southern Germany, where we were both invited to attend a cultural festival under the theme CULTURAL FUSION. Therefore, this interview is older than the  THE POETCAST but, nevertheless,  very informative  on the significance of culture to building the brigdes in divided societies. 

Si jipya nilinenalo, lilishanenwa dahari
Mote linanenwa lilo, na miye nalikariri
Jambo nikushaurilo, hupaswi kulighairi
Subiri akhi subiri
Kwamba kila lianzalo, ndilo pia liishalo