Dear munching mouth, You have receptors for five Types of tastes, talk of taste buds… Your tongue touches on salty things And bitter, sweet, savory, sour sides too. You have food spun, crushed, Salted and sliced like what? A tomato that is sandwiched, Swallowed and squashed, An orange, just juicy, hey! A big burst of sweetness, Scented, savored, swilled, Shredded, shared in wedges, Used in a salad, a snack too, Radish carefully crunched. Mango skinned and sucked, Pea popped into your place, Berries have a bouncy balance Of sweetness and tartness, a tad! Strawberry sweet, slightly sour.…
Author: Ndaba Sibanda
As poetry became her cozy pal, She sat on a reed mat and read Poetry that taught her to navigate The mysteries of memory and verses, She embarked on a journey of action, Motivation, meditation and reflection, She caressed its coils, curves and cries, And learned to shriek with a smiling face, The expedition was indeed an inspiration, It was more than idealistic, it was spiritual, It was as titillating, thrilling as a thorny trance. As poetry became her cozy, lazy pal, She sat on a reed mat and read poetry That sought to give her power and peace,…
As I was growing up, one became aware that there was a lot of evidence of cultural syncretism in our numerous communities, be it in the remote villages or urban centres, during happy events like weddings ,parties etc., or sad instances like funerals, illnesses, worries, a huge number of souls seemed to be swayed by a combination of different forms of belief or practice: for instance ,talk of African options, incantations and rituals at night on one end, and Christian worship sermons on Sundays, the ambivalences of seeking spiritual guidance from the fortune-tellers, traditionalists or herbalists by the cover of…
Her figure was fatigued, seeking a freshness, her face tearful, her voice drowned in emotion, her heart hurt, bleeding ,she spoke at length of unspoken words, restless and riotous wounds, of unmentionable and untold stories and worries that tell of telling and revealing aches, ailments concealments, developments and silly silences. As she set out on her journey to reinvention, she told untold stories of daily damages by virtue of day-to-day disagreements and bouts with him that resulted in hideous hurts in her heart ‘n’ soul, of her wakefulness and her foolish flashes of weakness, of friends whose friendship is…
Which way forward, churchification or resuscitation of the companies? Every time I think about the offbeat economic scenario, I end up making a juxtaposition between the companies that are now church buildings on one hand , and on the other, the government’s apparent failure to resuscitate the factories which were the economic heartbeat of the city of Bulawayo in particular and the country`s economic hub in general , before everything else was steadily, greedily and cruelly run down. I don’t get it, economists, please weigh in on this incongruity? I call it the odd churchification of the industrial sites,…
It’s mothers’ day, and he has written at length, thanking his cherished mother for her love, care, courage and strength. The son has also touched on her sense of vigilance, brilliance and tenderness, his counsellor, champion and cheerer. Mom, mothers’ day is special, not because it comes once per year, but because you’re special every day. Mom, neither do I know how to give an ovation to someone who’s as caring, candid and patient as you’re, nor do I’ve enough words, mouths to do so.
Voyager Thabi had seen it all, She had travelled far and wide and experienced a series of shocks cuisines, music, colors and climates. Not only had she had the privilege and honor of visiting several countries on this earth, she also set foot on other planets ,her eyes on extraterrestrials. If there were inscriptions on her forehead, maybe the words would read like: culture shock no longer shocks me, I just stunned it big time. She had come across individuals who named their kids after books, for instance, one boy was Dictionary, little wonder, his teacher used…
degrees of dark and light make a pic perfect or right, if a peaceful poet poetises, his voice vows, wows or even sensitises, a poet`s work is his potent yell or composition through which he issues stars in a poetic fashion, accustomed to free and fulfilling possibilities of human art, his pen pours out shadings and meanings painted by his heart
shy reptile, where do you dwell? l scan your bony, leathery shell, toothless horny beak, terrestrial, trunk enclosing the head, limbs, tail, believed to symbolize wisdom, fertility, steadfastness, perseverance, tranquillity, healing, time, water, nobility, civility, protection, home and retreat, moon, longevity, transformation aquatic, shy reptile, you coast coolly under water, I see you absorb, sock up the sunshine on shore, drifter! you transition back and forth: water, land as you lay eggs, while dogs bark, fight, you don’t bite or tug at others’ legs, how have you roamed the earth for nearly 220 million years? land turtles can…
The author was inspired to pen the poem following the recent resurgent spates of xenophobic attacks, threats, deaths and persecutions. This time around these terrible turbulences, protests and afrophobic attacks are initiated, directed and executed under the banner of the Dudula Vigilante groups or the so-called Dudula movement. Roots and Rules Dudula means to drive back, repel, repulse, beat back or push away. The Alexandra Dudula Operation was set up in 2021 in Alexandra, one of the lowliest and most lawless areas of South Africa. It seeks to ensure that jobs and business opportunities go to the South Africans, hence…
my poem is an opposite, reverse, backward one, a yellow sky , the sum of none but red and green, my poem is prose like a piece of icy rays in the sun, I’ve tried my hand at an epic, acrostic, not this one, I, who penned an autobiography which isn’t mine! I’ve tried my hand at haiku, bio ,but not this one, It’s like free verse which is unliberated, this one! all those poetic forms filled me with a ton of fun, this one is as sweet as tucking into some lemon, what happens when life throws a misplaced…
The usual way to celebrate Easter for the Maseko family in Bulawayo is to embark on a spiritual retreat. While others could be having family reunions, fun and feasts, the Masekos make it a point that they revive and praise. While others at times explore tourist centers, for the Masekos, that is a time to hold crusades, baptisms, concerts and night-long prayer meetings.
Some names are historical, yet other labels are personal, maybe most names are cultural. Certain names reflect a history of one`s parents, their deeds, desires; yet other names are transcendent. They embody, endorse an identity, self, self-acceptance, self-worth and … one`s community, culture and cosmos. The association and mention of self, is central, revealing and instructive; some say naming is fundamental. Naming is as psychological as it is spiritual, it is a social practice and a futuristic and ritualistic act. Culturalists would caution one that a name which doesn’t have a cultural basis is like…
On April 1, l noted a neat note from a funny footballer of note, It got me sitting on the edge of my stool, It was curiously titled: from footballer to fool! He wrote: l’ve been a victim of the day’s trickery, Tricksters abound, my ground seemed slippery, I’m fine, now, they played the prank well, l was gullible, They dribbled past me, sold me a dummy, incredible! We’re fools, whether we dance, or not, so we might as well dance, so goes a Japanese proverb, right?
Similarities Between Curiosity And Nosiness Both curiosity and nosiness seem to have a thread that has words like: interest, concern, desire, inquisitiveness and attentiveness. Both are synonyms which are associated with a desire to investigate or find out. Differences Between Curiosity And Nosiness I think the two major distinctions between curiosity and nosiness lie in their intentional and behavioral manifestations and implications. What Does A Curious Person Seek? A curious person (e.g. a researcher) seeks knowledge, information and ideas for enlightenment and development. Curiosity is a strong desire to know or learn. It leads one to make an inquiry. Hence…
Men across the African continent, Hear and heed the careful counsel From a concerned health consultant, He travels as he preaches a health gospel, “Men, please, why do you pee everywhere? Don’t dare say because you`d be pressed! How come women don’t do that anywhere? Men, hygiene is health, our cities are depressed!”
Won’t it die without a drink? What about a dead beast’s stink? Our land is gasping for great greenery The one that was a cute castle of scenery Is now a poor, petrifying, parched plainness The rains forsook the farmers’ hopefulness When they withdrew and played hide-and-seek With their patient prayers which are purely meek That’s why our land is lacking and drearily dehydrated The crops cry dry dirges of drooping, none is exhilarated
After a day`s long and hectic hours at work, he took the weight off his feet on the loose lip of a crying chair which had lost its coziness, immersed, ensconced in a timeless thriller with incredible complex characters grounded in relevant and relatable themes, characters that puffed intrigue, adventure and suspense on each and every page because the storyline was hypnotic, dynamic and engaged a reader with a solid sense of time, touch and place; for Ndlovu, an avowed devourer of masterpieces, it were as if the book had a blend of visuals , sound and technology to deliver…
Are the deadliest threats to humans, huge creatures like foreboding sharks? Or lumbering elephants and charging apes? or time and again slighter living things That destroy life through spreading disease rather than through the use of sharp teeth? The figures that I’ll share with you are unsettling estimates, or so clarified his learned, lanky mom. Roaring at number ten are the kings and queens of the jungle: the lions, they slay 200 souls a year. Her son said: I wouldn’t tickle a lion in his den, not even in my wildest and bravest dream, never!…
A Women`s Day Special A Tribute To Queen Lozikeyi Dlodlo Lozikeyi Dlodlo, the Queen of the Ndebele, Queen Lozikeyi Dlodlo, seen as intriguing by colonialists, Queen Lozikeyi Dlodlo, King Lobhengula`s brave wife, Daughter of Ngokho Dlodlo, how did you ease into the King`s shoes? When the King had gone missing, you rose to the occasion in a majestic fashion and reigned! Like Queen Nzinga, you taught us that ladies can be leaders, military strategists , counselors and liberated thinkers and doers. African Queens In the Hebrew Bible, the Queen of Sheba brings…
Peculiar, her poetry personified Objects like a washing machine In ways that signified a measure Of startling creativity and hilarity She considered reading as a pastime, A precious one, not pitiful penance, In her poetry, her pen patted her paper Like a chum, and her washing machine Was a laundry, lonely lad who muttered, Mattered, burped as he munched a range Of grey garments rammed into his mouth By her weary mom every Friday afternoon!
a deep, diverse and dynamic gift, delicate, it is full of ebbs and flows, bravo, at times our life flows toward our dreams, desires and ambitions, so we sing in celebration , we toast to the fulfillment of our missions, we rejoice when it croons with us, we wonder and wither when the tide of life flows away from our dreams, desires, endeavors and intentions, more often than not ,when we struggle against the current, we seem to lose sight of the fact that life is neither static nor linear, it is dynamic and…
Her figure was fatigued seeking a freshness, her face tearful, her voice drowned in emotion, her heart hurt, bleeding ,she spoke at length of unspoken words, restless and riotous wounds, of unmentionable and untold stories and worries that tell of telling and revealing aches, ailments concealments, developments and silly silences. As she set out on her journey to reinvention, she told untold stories of daily damages by virtue of day-to-day disagreements and bouts with him that resulted in hideous hurts in her heart ‘n’ soul, of her wakefulness and her foolish flashes of weakness, of friends whose friendship is…
Poetry knows how to personify objects, so that readers ,perhaps end up reading about rubbish bins that protested and pronounced that they would no longer put up with the bulk of foul crap! Fancy a typically still and smelly bin putting a lid on itself and stating: I`ve been taking this kind of trash for too long, but guess what? I`m done with swallowing junk from you, I`m jumping ship, and embracing cleanliness! A shocked jersey dodged and ducked a 12 year old boy who was trying to tuck into it, he had last worn the outfit when…
police or no police, they return, bellies rule, on the pavements, it`s a hustle, wares rule, one is a cigarette and airtime street hawker, the other one sells a variety of vegetables, both are university graduates and returnees from South Africa: the cigarette purveyor was deported, the other dealer claims he left of his own accord for fear of xenophobic attacks. They are discussing the state of the economy, the vegetable seller: we’re faced with the chief ironies of our businesses , it looks like every citizen has been forced to trade informally, now who`s going to buy from who?…
a comedian, Bobotheka was on TV, truly his wife was glued to the TV, the sweet TV show was beamed live, his funniness, his feelings came alive, in the process a hush-hush slipped out, for words have a way of making a shout, a swift slap was his spouse`s greeting clasp after his TV interview in which he had a slip about his penchant for ladies with natural hair, the smack got him thinking of seeking an extra lair!
Aged 10, Mbongeni penned a unique, heroic movie script titled The Unstoppable Coronation which grew on show-biz lovers and all and shot him into global fame and fortune. He acknowledges to have been inspired by Malavath Poorna, the youngest Indian and the youngest female in the world to scale the Mount Everest, on May 25th , 2014, aged just 13 years 11 months.
The history of the liberation war as fashioned by flatterers & fibbers is as bad as an inedible, toxic dish, a perfect pollutant, a poverty of truth, sadly ,young students grow up on a diet of the bigots’ and toadies’ nasty narrative.
the sun had rolled and retired into the cheerful cuddle of its mom, giving way to a dense dusk to dance, and nocturnal creatures to creep, shamble and sing their silly songs, late, she was stomping and singing in a bid to give herself a false sense of fearlessness, freeness and fun, a hunch herded her to turn around and take an abrupt look, and Lord! there was something unfamiliar about the fast fellow’s familiarity, she couldn’t figure out who he was, but his gaiety appeared like a sight her eyes were used to slapping on, but…
they shape and sharpen them, they sting ,string them together they waltz & work with words, they fashion or fabricate words out of iron by hot and cold forging them on their anvil, I see their pads as I peep into their pens & punches, they choose and chisel sentences and lines with hand hammers, their vises vet verses with verve, their sledgehammers are the sounds, sizes & shapes of unconventionalities, their torching tongues echo an appeal, their touching tongs trim trimmings beautiful, bold writing speaks, it speaks a tireless truth about folks irrespective of color, culture, creed, topography…
