Love one another or die
Zimbabwe’s current challenges inspired one Kubatana subscriber, Sophia, to write a poem in Shona.
In it, she asks the police and soldiers why they act as if they and the people are on opposing sides – Why? When all of us struggle to survive, and need to work together to see our country prosper.
The piece is based on based on a poem by the Cuban poet Nicolas Guillen and is reminiscent of W.H. Auden:
hunger allows no choice
to the citizen or the police;
we must love one another or die.
Sei?
Ini ndinoshaya kuti sei
Iwe mupurisa uchifunga kuti
Ini ndakakuvenga
Tose takafanana
Iwe, ini
Iwe unoshupika, neniwo
Ini handitongi, newewo
Zvino wakaivanepi nhai?
Iyo pfungwa musoja
Yekuti ini ndakakuvenga
Zvinondirwadza zvikuru
Kuti dzimwenguva unokanganwa kuti
Ini ndingori mhunhu anenge iwe
Anorarama asina masimba
Hauoni here? Ini ndiri iwe
Sezvezviri kuti iwe uri ini
Ichochi hachisi chikonzero
Chekuti ndingakuvenge
Tose takafanana Ini, Iwe
Seiko nhai Seiko uchifunga musoja
Kuti ini ndingavenge Iwe
Tichafamba tose
Iwe neni, munzira imwechete
Tichidzinga nhamo
Ini newe
Pasina ruvengo
Pakati pangu, pakati pako
Tichiziva Iwe neni
Kukosha kwekugarisana
Tichashanda tose
Iwe neni, munyika yedu
Tichibatsirana mazuva ose
Kusvika tabudirira
Tichiziva kwatirikuenda
Iwe neni
Sei uchifunga nhai mupurisa
Kuti ini ndingakuvenge?