By Jurgen Namupira
When disasters strike, we are left to count the losses and broken ties. Who ever anticipated the destruction brought forth by the Cyclone Idai. Well, all we can do now is reflect on the unfavourable past.
Word of mouth will come and go, but such memories ought to be documented one way or the other. Not to give relevance to the ogre, but to remember those that were affected. At Art Plus Hope we believe art has the to paint pictures that will narrate forever these events. In this post we have poems by Chenai Boroma (Chychy the Writer) and Edwin Msipa (Black Mampara).
Title: Idai!
By Chenai Boroma (Chychy the Writer)
Rubbles,
Debris,
Heaps and piles
Not of any worth.
What was once a community is now a hub of diseases, loss, pain and sculptured memories which will haunt many for the time to come.
What was once a home is but just a heaped pile of dust and broken glasses,
Bodies carpeting the streets,
Blood clotted in the maleficent waters that came to raze the best of us.
No asset left, no savings to talk about,
Chaos Plunged in a years’ sweat,
Heinous waters,
With neither mercy nor consideration of our old and the innocent souls that knows not the reality that has struck,
The scar is permanent,
History has been made,
With no food, clothes, basic health facilities- they’re still coming to terms with their new norm,
From fending for themselves to living on donations,
What was once a home is a grave for many,
Death crept in,
Unintended,
Unpredictable,
Unsuspected,
Idai...you’ve ravaged us
Title: HARANGUER
By Edwin Msipa (Black Mampara)
The night and daylight robber,
Bereft of gorm,
Decided to cut through Manica with his fretsaw,
Washed away our hopes,
Left a soul-destroying experience for our children at St Lwanga,
Gnawed the once mighty blue mountains of Chimanimani,
Corrupted our nature with his digusting winds.
All had marvelled at the Heavens opening,
All expected the pattering sounds of the soothing rains,
That Cha-cha-cha ryhtmic pattern,
That tending sound which puts a toddler to bed,
Non expected a deluge which devastated the Manicas for days
He is so: naive,
Senseless,
Childlike,
And above all ruthless.
In a perfomance of blazing ferocity, couldn't he control himself?
Call him IDAI-The useless we cant fall in love with.
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