Cornelius Muthuri (Tsurie)

In his haunting collection, Sic itur ad astra, (Thus one Goes to the Stars), Cornelius Muthuri, skillfully juxtaposes ancient mythology with everyday life, exposing the darkness that often lurks within the human psyche. Ancient gods walk among the shadowy forests of Kenya, only to emerge in the streets and join the poet at the supper table. These poems weave spells of raw honesty where forbidden desires echo both classical antiquity and the rhythm of contemporary Kenyan life. Each verse carries a unique linguistic rhythm, where occasional imperfections create their own kind of music, lending an authenticity that polished perfection could never achieve. In this way, imperfection serves as a powerful metaphor for the human condition itself—flawed yet striving, beautiful in its vulnerability, and pulsing with the dark arts of survival under the equatorial sun.