Shem the poet

Armstrong Shem

By Samuel Ochieng

“A verb the worst thing in the world for me to learn a right,

When a teacher calls on me, I never get it right,

I try to give the verbs parts;

When I give the part of run I stammer

But I can’t say rin or even ren, both are wrong!

I try the parts of go,

Is it gown or gent?

It doesn’t help! The parts of take I’m sure are take and tock 

Yet bake is bake, book and baken

Still I get it wrong!

Verb Ooh! Verbs, verbs will I ever get you right?”

Meet the author of the above poem nine-year-old Armstrong Shem. The upcoming poet discovered that he had the talent while still in nursery school. This was when he would sing and dance better than other kids. This made him his teachers’ favourite, as he could be selected to perform in various functions and competitions

“I learned to recite poems when I was still a nursery school kid, I could read the nursery rhymes and sing lullabies and with that, I would be selected to perform anytime there was a function. I think this made my parents happy,” says Armstrong.

To the Class Four pupil at New Hope Academy in Ukwala, poetry is just a funny way of playing with language and having fun. It’s another way of expressing one’s imaginations and feelings on any subject.

“It’s the fun of playing with language. I use my creativity and it’s not easy though; sometimes I find it difficult but I just keep going on. Giving up is what I hate the most,” he adds.

Asked about the benefits he gets from poetry, this what he said: “It has helped me a lot as it has built the confidence in me. I can say it has also helped me overcome shyness as I am now active in class,” he says.

Apart from being a poet; Armstrong also has a dream to become a scientist and maybe invent a lot of things that will benefit everybody.

“I think being a scientist is the best job because with it you can do anything. If I become one, I’ll invent a lot of things that will help the earth, everyone and everything that live on it,” says Armstrong.

One of his dream inventions is to come up with a car that uses water to run as he believes this will reduce air pollution and save the planet.

The young boy rides in his parents’ shadow as he believes that it’s the support they have given him that has seen him this far. To him; his parents are the role models he wants to emulate.

Playing basketball, reading story books, and socialising are some of his hobbies

Shem urges his fellow youngsters to have interest in whatever they do and even in the subjects they learn if they want to be successful.

“You can’t learn a subject if you are not interested in it, so try and do your revision on a daily basis, especially on the subjects you find difficult,” he concludes.