As in Survival
…as in waking up at four am to hit the road as in road trip time
watching the day break through a window as in norton, chegutu,
kadoma, gweru, bulawayo, figtree, plumtree as in the dry stretch of
barrenness between gweru and bulawayo must be metaphorical…
…as in dry riverbeds where water should flow it was an angry
summer as in border queue at plumtree afternoon sun swelters as in
warm conversation with cross border trader business is bad as in
sitting on cement slab waiting on official stamps this is where lower
back pain is obtained…
…as in sundown travelling through the kgalagadi brown lands flat for
miles and miles, are we there yet? as in cheap takeaway supper
chicken licken spicy soul food spread the blanket sleep in the car
backseat no money for cheap motels as in two am rapping on the
window copper with his black torch saying move along, can’t sleep
here humid interior moisture on the window pane…
.
by Tariro Ndoro
from New Coin, 2017