Grace Atuhaire UGANDAN WRITER Creative Work | Reflection | Publications

Profile Grace Atuhaire was born in 1988 in Bushenyi District. She is a member of Uganda Women Writers Association. She is a waiting graduation for her Bachelors of Arts in social sciences at Kyambogo University majoring in political science and social Administration. She volunteered teaching poetry at Bavubuka Foundation. She has freelanced writing for East African Business Week, Neteral and Soniceclectic online magazines among other international publications. She is an Author of an online advocacy magazine on climate change - Pied Magazine at www.piedmagazine.com - and publishes some of her works on her blog: www.atuhairegrace.webs.com

Creative Work Kissing an Angel: How does it feel? I liked his flashing oval eyes and the way he let his hands pass through his hair as he opened his mouth with a light… help! Help! I liked his muscles as he held me up from a crushed car I loved the sound of his voice soothing me … …All will be fine, as I lay in tones of blood I yearned for his lips to touch mine… as I dozed on the remedy …to rest To be woken by him again, dressed like a monk I wonder what my chances are; of getting him from the monastery to my home?   Mobile Ingrates ‘It’s been a month since I held a pen took a breath In a gut of blood, hacked with a sword of doom of inspiration.' A fortnight since I Reflecting on Grace I feel wrapped My mind is blank I live my day wailing of how I hate my job How I wish I had a better note book or a talking pen that would remind me of its use whenever I blink. My savings frittered to keep a windows 7 phone Undermining the sway of Swana’s Ganja My pockets loosened and Rasta man_________________Prized himself for the good times’ As he Supplied ganja virgins with happiness’ My head is engraved in my own vomit as I jump these potholes on Entebbe road May fate change soon or my body is kissing its end.   Dedicated to the Uganda- Rwanda Boarder… You make me feel all alone You make me feel de-myself You make me feel all alone You make me feel…Feel their ghosts Daylight makes my Iris strain That I have to wear the second eyes again, I wish they could make me smarter like my Mum says To wear the strings my Dad made And enter the room that bares a chalk and a board ___________________________“Peace and reconciliation” I look all wise but my feelings aren’t mutual To reconcile with those who butchered my kin is so...is so… I bust out of the room and stretch to the winds and the skies I scream “…Take me too…take me too…taoshaka..taoshaka…no…no…no…non…non” Scouting to the pavement, I sway my palm to a fist and pound…pound…pound I scream “…Taoshaka…taoshaka…no…no…no…non…non” *** A pant on my shoulder…I am dozing again in the English class… I wonder if these English lessons will ever take away the French memories… ___________________________…I am scared…

Reflection Part of my life values is to see a unified world living at Peace. Most of my writings will ridicule the systems in place. Poetry is my way of expressing my opinion either socially or politically. “Kissing an angel: How does it feel?” is an imaginative poem that talks about the wrong or right thing one can’t have due to factual societal or religious constrains. “Mobile Ingrate” talks about an experience when I visited Botswana… it’s abstract and that was my intention: to give an elusive idea of what’s like to party in the Tswana Land… “Uganda Rwanda Boarder” my roots at the boarder of Uganda and Rwanda… it tones me apart to awake to that borderline across and knowing that’s the difference there is between me and my brothers across the hills. Thank you for reading my Poems “For God and My country”

Publications Grace writes poetry for children and adult audiences and her poems have been published in The Dream in the clouds, I.A.P.EN KOHJNOOR, Farming Ashes, Talking Tales, Tolking tales, A Dream in the Clouds, Common Ground Review summer issue 2009, The Butterfly Dance, Neteral online magazine and Sonicelectic online Magazine.