Poetry Platform
Oct 2025
'The Numbers' by Achieng Otieno
Not so fast
Says the boot
As the skinny legs of courage
Scamper to safety in a makeshift shelter
Feeble voice trailing off
Yet another number
Piles on top of far
Too many to count
Too many to name.
Yet numbers tell a story, they say
What stories shall we tell
When talking drums
Meet the boot
Fear welded with rage
Rage running amok
As brooding, marauding clouds
Outnumber, outpace
The numbers unfettered
Crashed, numbed
Over stories fighting
To count, live
Hope and fight fervently
For another day.
© 2025 Achieng Otieno. All rights reserved. Reproduction or transmission of this work in any part or form is strictly prohibited without the author’s prior written consent.
About the author
Achieng Otieno is a wanderer who tinkers with words. Poetry, is to her, what water is to fish. She has experimented with writing essays and musings in blogs over the years.
She currently spends part of her day solving problems related to water safety then winds up the day with a good book and experiments in the kitchen.
A list of writers previously published by AGN is maintained here; writers list.
Submission guidelines for those thinking of putting their work forward to be considered for publication are here; submission guidelines.
African Global Networks (AGN) – Oct 2025