Circles
The language of fear once again echoes through our lives
new elections
the shadow of violence creates
once again,
separation in our midst
intimidation
young boys with large guns training on the streets
the threat is wherever we give it room to shake our trust
I sit on the rim of many circles
and watch in awe
as the edges connect
On a random morning in a Harare tea garden:
1 table of people talking about communication and the big picture
2 tables of healers talking about healing and coordination
1 table talking about healing and community self-help
1 table talking to the world (on email) about healing the environment
Circles of connection and action and focus
…………..born in the dark
And in different places, under different trees
communities edge beyond the fear
and talk about co operation and sharing of resources
talk about their young men and the damage we are doing to them
and of football games and peace
Small healing organizations talk about networking
small circles of widows,
and mothers of handicapped children
and AIDs carriers
and orphans
talk about healing and sharing what they have learned
Circles on an eastern mountain bring together traditional leaders and young thinkers
to talk about new ways of working together
calling on old traditions and new dreams
…………….born in the dark
I sit on the rim of many circles
circles that connect across communities and colour and culture and gender
circles that stretch across the country
across the planet
and I wonder:
Is there enough room for these webs of light to emerge
and bring something new into being?
has the long dry journey sucked and sapped our spirits?
do we have the resilience
and the trust
to walk this next part of our journey?
Transformation
The rains came this week and touched the long-dry earth with its magic
seeds of delicate grasses push tiny roots into newly wetted soil
and chongololos
lying in wait coiled in circular cells under dry earth
push their way to the surface
to greet the new-wet world
waiting above ground
The cell tower
Monavale community has taken the challenge of protecting its biodiversity centre
from the invasive presence of a 50m cell tower being raised in its midst
The story has many twists and turns
but an underlying message has there been from the start :
We are facing a bigger power than a group of concerned residents
Corporate business and the city council bent on ‘development’
pay no attention to our requests and petitions
-and building continued whilst the matter was in court
Our voice doesn’t count and we felt impotent in the face of the abuse of power around us
but then……….
a new twist
the judge ordered a temporary halt to the building
and brought the court to visit
our indigenous tree nursery
our bird sanctuary
our community clean-up and conservation and tree planting
and the cell tower outside our bedroom windows
once again we wait…..