OOGAM Designs

Fabric: Kitenge
Gather Skirt
Short Sleeved Square Neck Hour Glass Top
Tip
Colour Block with a bright pair of shoes
For this, Tone down on accessories: Simple beaded chocker (necklace) and a beaded spiral bracelet will be perfect.

Fabric: Kitenge
Inverted Triangle Neckline with Mini Stand Up Collar
Short A-line Dress
Long strap leather porch
Tip
Pair this with swahili shoes for casual or simple plain dull heels for an event

Fabric: Velvet /Chiffon
Strapless Animal Themed Tent Dress
Toffee Slim belt with front cheetah print detail
Tip
Match the accessories and maitain one theme

Fabric: Cotton
V-neck Tie Up Back bare
Knee High A-line Polka Dotted Dress
Tip
Just stick to bangles for accessories and shoes ... explore

Her Sanity in Confusion

Evalo had never been so confused all her life. Suddenly it's like her world revolved around a subject she barely knew. Every time she had a dream it would be really blurred. Her sixth sense would sniff company but her mind could have been too distracted to send any signals to her heart.

The cold that would engulf her when she was not at work or at school was unbearable, explained why she'd keep herself busy until she had no strength left in her. It was difficult for her to look at the world the same way she did a little while ago. She had grown insensitive to the world that had taught her so much in such a short time.

Evalo is the kind of woman who is in control of her life, her future, her past and leaves nothing to chance. Probably this is enough explanation for her lone ranger lifestyle. She'd stand out wherever she goes and so she found a way to sew confidence into her shy personality fabric.

As much as she is steel strong,Evalo has a weakness, a soft spot I'd say, one she hates with attitude. She hates it because that button makes her weak in the knees, makes her mind wander from work at mid day and clearly makes her heart crave for the forbidden.

She wouldn't hear from Yddif every single day, but the few times she did, she slept peaceful and her smile would beam. She felt a cloud of bliss from the debris of her heart but she was afraid. Scared that history has a tendency of recurring, and so she keeps a safe distance.

She back dates to a year ago when she went out with him, it was the first and had been the last since then. He was a perfect gentle man, respectful, calm , soft spoken and definitely cute. Evalo would never forget the few times their skin brushed and all she felt was warmth, soft and smooth skin that gave forth a voodoo she found irresistible.

As she wakes up daily, amidst the confusion life offers and the work that weighs her down at the end of the day, she finds solace in a phone call. At the other end of the line is a stranger, a friend, she is not sure. She is however sure, he is the only sane thing in her life.

Campus Life After Life

The breath of freedom excited her a little bit
She wondered if she'd learn to live there and fit
In a world so new that it felt like a deep pit,
To be wise, still and calm she took the back seat,
Campus life, she had heard of it, now she gotta live it

The room was dusty but looked bearable,
A little sigh at that point was suitable,
As she cleaned and unpacked what she held valuable,
She tried to make her new home quite comfortable,
Campus life, she wondered if she'd be able.

It didn't take her long to notice and mark a trend,
She still walked alone, finding her way,not a single friend,
She knew at the back of her mind it will all count at the end,
She pledged that one day for her children she'll fend,
Campus life , did it have a hand to lend?

The skimpy dressing and open air relationship,
At first was too much but she hoped on to the ship,
Over time she learned the art of friendship,
Opened up to new possibilities, tried out the spaceship,
Campus life, may be it could offer mentor ship.

Too bad she reported during a political time,
Not taking a side was actually a federal crime,
Tension was high she had to learn how to mime,
The school president was to be chosen among lime,
Campus life, on it she could not place a rhyme.

She hated the campaigners who'd go door to door,
Not just because they'd dirty her clean floor,
Some along with the campaigns wanted something more,
She'd heard of the gold rush , but thought it sore,
Campus life, she hoped it was worth living for.

Hot built and sexy they gently knocked unlike usually,
They walked in and they were appealing visually,
She disguised her blush with a serious face held firmly,
They were rugby players, her favorite sport coincidentally,
Campus life, wasn't turning out so badly.

One of them she started to meet a bit often,
There bond grew stronger as time baked it in the oven,
Date one two and three and by date seven,
They were a a pair, one plus one made eleven
Campus life, was now on earth, a little heaven.

It's her last year in campus and she can't wait,
Her freshman year definitely carries the weight,
She's happy her ex did not determine her fate,
She had her peak but snapped out before it was too late,
Campus life, did give her, her first date.

Word from OOGAM
Campus offers you a chance to live without rules, a chance to experience life in a maximum type of freedom, that wouldn't be found anywhere else. No one cares for what you do or say. Live without limitations but do not forget, there is still a life after Campus Life.

Mystery Man

It rang twice, it felt like eternity,
Then he picked, I felt jittery,
My phone felt slippery,
My throat felt a little bit slithery,
The stars I remember were glittery.
So I talked to him seated beneath the half moon.

His voice still had that touch,
My friends would say, he’s quite a catch,
His first few words sounded like Dutch,
His looks and voice were quite a match,
Him over the phone that night was a perfect patch,
That single peak at the end of a dull plain day.

A sneak peek of who mystery man is in open,
I could admit to not having met him too often,
He’s adorable I’d let my cookies burn in the oven,
Just to watch him cause we’d never strike even,
I can’t audition him, he’ll score a ten out of ten,
Sometimes I think to myself; isn’t he too good to exist?

Is your life dark? You could use his brilliant personality,
Counting him a blessing is a definite, not a probability,
His skin marries his charm, a spell that could last for eternity,
He could probably know his worth, or will they call it vanity?
He is the perfect element to counter negativity,
I stare at the sky wondering how such good luck could come my way.

They say everyone has their flaws,
His must be well tucked in somewhere,
As my river of emotion flows,
I feel his presence almost everywhere,
A day cannot go by without the thought of mystery man.

Message from OOGAM
A special dedication to that person who’s phone call makes your blood rush.

Once My EX Still Is.

He is my EX, not because he got EXausted but simply because I EXchanged him for a full cup of memories. Memories I live each day hoping to relive and even on top EXtra fantasies.

He had what you’d call the X-factor. He understood the X chromosomes better than he did the Ys. The part of my life I shared with him holds an EXperience I term unforgettable. I remember I once preferred to get EXcommunicated over letting him go. My love for him was an EXaggeration of ordinary love.

I EXamined his face that night, trying to figure out if he understood what I meant when I said I wanted a break. His face held no emotion, I guess because his eyes were EXtravagant with rage, confusion and pain. He loved me to EXtremes and all I could give back was EXellent betrayal. He EXtended a heart only to receive a sword pierce through it. He held his breath, and for a minute I was afraid he wouldn’t EXhale but the minute he did, he EXited my life.

Now I sit here and fantasize about how he was an EXpert in kiss, caress, squeeze and love making. It has been a fruitless search looking for an EXact of him in every any other man. The memories of my EX are EXpensive I’d say priceless. I call him my EX not because he was but because he still EXists in my mind body and soul.

Message from OOGAM

It's okay to long for what you once loved. Remember though, not to get carried away and forget what your price tag states.

Wo-Man

Message from OOGAM

Need I say more

He Broke Her, She Broke Down

She stood by the window staring into blank space. Probably giving the world a keen look, hoping to at least get a hint of what it is she usually does wrong. Today was different; she spent the whole day locked up in her room. She was only gladder her roommate had boarded the 7:00 am bus for home and was not to come back soon. She could swear every line in every song in her playlist made sense. It sank deep, almost felt like the artists wrote them with her in mind. The music was the only way to calm her nerves, and rid thoughts of suicide, rage and revenge.

She was aggravated by the thought of giving so much for so little if anything at all. She was now single, within a night’s span. Yester night went well, as a matter of fact, perfect. They say joy comes in the morning…her morning only brought a black cloud of pain. She slept cuddled up in the arms of her man or rather now, her ex. She felt she’d choke on her own spit trying to call him an ex. Last night he kissed her, he held her tight, he whispered sweet words only to wake up dumb and half deaf.

He didn’t want her to touch him, neither did he speak a word. She persisted in wanting to know what the matter was, but he insisted on denying that there was any problem. It hurt her to know; he was hers but still would keep something away. She had not sworn it before a priest and her family but deep down, she knew, it was For Better or For Worse.

Her heart raced as she bit her lip in regret when he finally decided to speak. ‘Am tired. This relationship is not working, I want out. ‘His tone was cold and the look in his eyes was frozen. There was clearly no amount of persuasion that could change his mind. It was heart wrenching to think that there is another woman in the picture.

His last statement still rings in her mind. ‘You are just a baggage.’ She wondered if she had been a baggage 6 months’ worth of love. She checked the last text he sent, he was clear he did not want anything to do with her. If only she could ask one more time for an explanation or rather a second chance, the only thing that held her back was how firm his decision already was.

He must have given too many signs before he came to this, she must have been blinded by love. Her heart ached in a way she swore it never would. She now had every reason to rebuild the walls she tumbled when she opened up to love him.

A tear dropped on the diary she held and she wrote ‘Only time will tell now.’ She then picked the phone and dialled my number ‘I need a tissue and a shoulder…come over.’ She left me a voice message.

Message from OOGAM
If you choose to love, give it your all. When you are not sure about it, don’t toy with a human heart. Had a broken heart before? Then don’t break another.

The Terror at Dusk

The dusk had dawned, but a little bit too early,
She could swear high up above she could see the moon,
Just when yesterday promised today would bloom,
All of a sudden, too bright for a night in that little room,
Could it be the rapture?

Her heart thumped to the beat of a prayer she whispered,
The deafening noises ensured her hope was withered,
Her pretty bundle might wake scared she feared,
In the confusion of a long night she slithered,
A little courage might get her through.

Devastated by the quick peek just outside her window,
She saw no signs at all of a probable rainbow,
The application to live, for a minute she wanted to withdraw,
But the innocence that lay still in bed hit her like a blow,
Win one victory for two wars fought

Flashes of headlines filmed quick through her tight eyelids,
She saw it happen, never thought to witness it in clear bits,
A friend told her about it, now the missing piece fits,
It was no longer a tale told, on unwrapping of sweets,
God existed now more than ever before.


A bang on her door, froze her adrenaline,
Then a breaking glass heat it up, her life was on the line,
As she ran to grab pretty, it was too late for a fine,
Men…three in number, she was sure it wasn’t a sign,
The end of time was here.

‘Spare my little one!’ she pleaded in broken tones of distress,
She should have hushed because they cared less,
One bullet in her head, his best shot like a game of chess,
Another little bullet, in pretty’s little head…God bless
In peace they rest, mother-daughter.

Then it was calm, the dust settled and the sun scotched but the stench of gun powder made a mix with smoke. Land of thousands deserted in just a night. I stepped out of the closet and went out to publish my terror story as it had all happened before my eyes.

Message from OOGAM
I grew tired of telling the government to emphasize on security matters. I can’t work for the intelligence service either. The journalist I am will only tell you of the tragic tales. Wait…what should I do to be safe, but above all, what shall I do for a brother too?
My heart goes out to the families of all those who lost their loved ones in the Mpeketoni Attack on 15th June, 2014.

Survivour in The City Jungle

A million dollar face, a multi dollar trace,
Fortune worth a chase, not worth enough praise,
More than three thousand ways, to try and describe her grace,
In a rest I put my case, forget the glamour of the place,
It was all just a lie, well embraced beneath the lights.

Life is unfair, then karma and life must be a pair,
True to my opinion I swear, take a big bite off the pear,
Pick something to wear, something that will not tear,
Have the heart to dare, choose a path one too rare,
The journey only grows tough, and the weather proves a little rough.

Give a limb for a penny, count 1…2…3 till twenty,
They call it shady; judge you like they see it on telly,
They tell a story about a ferry, but they do not mention a tale of fairy,
No time for petty, got to stand out and look pretty,
It’s what a girl’s got to do, to keep her on a loop.

The sun rests beneath the horizon, strip off the mask of treason,
Inside a beautiful person, a heart strong like a mason,
One day when she gets a son, she’d want her to be a Tyson,
Strong but clean, a hustler but neat.
She lives each day praying for the odds, that her past never gets to haunt her future.

Message from OOGAM

Painting by Frank Morrison: Stunning Black Woman

Respect a black woman and do not judge her. If she never borrowed you a coin to buy some food, then don’t point at what she does to feed and clothe herself.

Even After My Last Breath

Hum me hymn and lull me to sleep,
When I am awake, I cannot breath,
I choke and cough at the obnoxious,
I've run out of sense and patience,
I run to my own grave

The rot in the open I weep for thee,
Pretense unfair to the young and meek,
A soul cries so does it weep,
For the young infestation by weeds,
My heart I send out to them.

I am no angel, probably a god,
After my last breath, they'll leave me for the dogs,
Brave I'll rest but ugly as hog,
Proud, not pretentious as tough as rock,
Believe me now, before am gone.

My ghosts will roam in search of a soul,
Behind the shadows your heart will stop,
Kid me or not, you name I'll call,
In the midst of a shadow-less night,
Just to finish what we started.

I come in peace waving a black flag,
The irony so clean, your heart stuffed in my bag,
I'll hum you a song to send you to sleep,
To the world they all fear I'll go with you,
You will never wake to the ghost of my past.

A special dedication to every couple that are rich in love.
Love her/him even after death.

The Kink in my Hair is Black

She sized me, more like a pile of trash,
I felt diminished, more of crushed,
But he grabbed me, I think I blushed,
Either way, I wanted to dash,
Run from the hands of an impostor.

She said, use the cream you'll look better,
Your hair looks almost sweet but just bitter,
Look more like her and the origin just filter,
If you try this look, your days will be brighter,
Me was not enough for them.

A Beyonce or a Rhianna is what they were to create of me,
In a world of democracy I could not once feel free,
Drowned in discomfort to be devoured by the whales of the sea,
My voice trailed to silence and I wanted to flea,
To a world I would be visible and audible.

You can't fit for cover page just yet,
Something about standards I'd not met,
My mirror however had contrary aims to set,
Each day I looked forward to seeing my pet,
Snuggle he fur and feel a sense of comfort.

Enough can only be taken in by sponge,
I decided no one could straighten the kink in my hair,
My bulbous nose was an accessory of my black skin,
My wide eyes a perfect fit for my big heart.
Conformable in my skin, I walked out of the closet,
The light was eye damaging but I stood out like a third nipple.
Magic only took embracing me comfortably

Born in the Wrong Planet

As I walked beneath the dim moonlit subway, my third voice was a consolation. It kept saying, fear not, for you are a super natural.The gleam of hope that pushed me a stride forward gave me the confidence that I'd make it to dawn alive. I had heard of the lions, the hyenas and the inhumane but still my heart beat to the rhythm of a warrior. My voice had always been a whisper, ignored and let to pass by with the wind. The rustle in the bushes and the whistles in the wind sucked up in the cloud of oblivious as my mind body and soul soaked in the engraved thoughts of my past, present and future. The world was not homely enough but the after life didn't have much to offer either. I roamed the secret paths for fear of being devoured on the streets. A perfect disguise is what my whole life was about. Too many masks made is so easy to fit in so many places but a perfect fit did not mean perfect comfort. I gathered courage enough to one day open he window and peep outside. The stench of pretense was choking and the ridicule was heart breaking. An iceberg for a heart and a sword for a hand proved every handshake cold and every smile a perfect fake.Life is a struggle for every living body but life is a fallen star for a super natural that stands out different from the aliens in the planet of so called sanity. I only feel comfortable walking in the shadows of the rain drops. If you are different, you would understand this piece if you are not, you will be completely puzzled.

Sanasana Band

Life Buoy;Hand washing day. The band to watch out for.

Mysteries Uncovered