CAROLYNE M. ACEN 

NATIONAL SECRETARY

CAROLYNE M. ACEN is a Ugandan Spoken word poet, writer and counselor. Her work revolves around society and women stories. In 2017 she was shortlisted for the Haiku Africa Competition and competed in the East Africa Poetic Hour competition in 2018. Her poetry has been published in poetry magazines and she is currently working on her first anthology.

CAROLYNE M. ACEN

El Secretario Nacional CAROLYNE M. ACEN es un poeta, escritor y consejero de habla ugandés. Su trabajo gira en torno a la sociedad y las historias femeninas. En 2017 fue preselección para el Haiku África Competición y compitió en la competición de la hora poética de África Oriental en 2018. Su poesía ha sido publicada en revistas de poesía y actualmente está trabajando en su primera antología.

LOVE IN THE ARMS OF A BROKEN MAN

I found love in the arms of
a broken man.
He lay me on a bed of maturity.
Nurtured me with experience.
Smothered me with deep conversation.
Kept me warm with his duvet of security.

I found a home in a broken house.
He offered me cold tea in chipped china.
Made me lie on his chest most
of the night.
The mean evening chill brushed
across our skin.
But I felt warm in his embrace.
His heart and beautiful soul felt like home.

Now, he's all that I think about.

I fell in love with his imperfections- and he, mine.

THE DAY WE MAKE LOVE

Your absence kills me.
Our depravity haunts
like a ghost.
The longing and wait
is worthwhile.

The day we make love,
our minds will take a
thrilling journey through
our Earth's orbit.
Our bodies will merge
in the vortex of passion.
Our souls will grind
rhythmically to the
music of the wind.

Your star will rise
from below sensation's
compass point and
later set below the
depth of dawn's
breath taking Eden.

We'll be gliding.
Smoothly forming
a constellation of love.
Our emotions and
deep passion will
create a supernova.

We'll scream!

.DEAR MAMA

Mama, i found my mortal happiness.
My intimate prayer.
The psalm on my lips.
The authentic rib encrusted by my thoracic cavity.
The old skool beat that makes
my heart swirl.
The peace embroidered on my visage.
The funk that makes me perspire
on a cold day.
The type of love that bred you, and papa.
A love nurtured on the bed of pain.

You said that I’d know when his intentions park outside the
mansion of my heart.
Mama, the honesty in his eyes
fires up my soul.
I feel safe in his warm embrace.
He completes me.

See, i didn’t get any flutters or
the burst of excitement when our eyeballs communicated
in a quiet eloquent conversation.
He wasn’t repulsive in his approach-
condescending in his speech or judgmental.
Promises were not made.
I just wanted to lay at his feet and get lost in his essence.
He came to me clothed in the
robe of truth.
Had me checking everything
wrong in my life.
Like a wave of change, he ushered in
a new season of blessings.
His untiring love and dedication
to me made me understand why it never worked out with anyone else.
He accepted me with all my imperfections.

Mama, with my hand nestled in his…
I introduce you to the poetry of my life.
The father of your future grandchildren.
He’s just as you said he’d be.
Rough on the edges, a little out of tune.
But beautiful on the inside.
I know you’ll love him just as much
as i do.