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joel jokonia Oct 2017
NETSAI
plainly described by her name
chi tai tai
a light in thick darkness

NETSAI
if i love you would you change
pamwe nhai
maybe you not tasted love yet
i fear your desires
fearless desires
will and shall get you hurt
scared for an eternity, let
me love you

NETSAI
i know all your shananigans
but i still bother myself with you
i do, its a plainly true
that love is blind

but even now a century has died
i still wait
after your shine has been ******, out
i wait
netsai
can you not see
     'ndokunetsa nokuti ndokuda'
Netsai a shona name for girls mostly
Netsa(means) - bother
Netsai - bothering
'ndokunetsa nokuti ndokuda' means -i bother you because i love you
pamwe nhai- maybe
chi tai tai - fire fly
"firefly
a light in thick darkness"
david mungoshi Oct 2015
jinga, jinga my sister
it's a true- vex world
jinga my sister
nothing makes sense
jinga my sister
it's a shake-your-head fix
where we're headed
i don't know jinga
oh the aches in my heart
jinga my little sister
what a drag it is
feeling so helpless
watching you get mauled
by the drooling wolves of suburbia
oh jinga i'm hurting inside
but time sometimes does wait
so show them jinga
a daughter saving a nation
Inspired by the lyrics of 'Jinga' a song done by Biggie Tembo one-time frontman of Zimbabwe's inimitable jit jive outfit, The Bundu Boys. He did this song as part of an album called 'Out of Africa' done with The Ocean City Band. Biggie was singing about bewilderment in a world that was changing too much for his liking. One day they found him dead hanging from the beam in a psychiatric ward. Ooh Biggie!
Jim Davis  Nov 2018
Sardines
Jim Davis Nov 2018
Our eyes filled with wonder
Our minds twisted in change
Much like hobbits going afar
Then returning to sweet home
Our lives were changed forever

We rode slow and flew so fast
In tin cans from here and to there
Never taking off our shoes
Hardly touching the ground
Hardly touching Africa

Hiding behind camera lens
Wearing our face in masks
As a people not African black
Who worry not the future
Living easily in time’s moment

Like sardines aligned in tight
Wild creatures within confines
Electricity, steel, and wire
Tall fences stopping escape
To other worlds and realms afar

Except the leopards of night
Who easily roam across
All defined or artificial borders
Escaping cramped tin cans
Basking in Africa’s buttery light

Except for our African guide
With Christian name of Dexter
But named actually as
Tichayambuka Nekutenda
Nenyasha Chikerema

More comfortable sleeping in
Deep bush amongst beasts
Without down comforters,
perfumes, socks, or shoes
Living life in happy quiet freedom

A man raised speaking Bantu
in a small Shona tribe
Born in the Zimababwan village
Of Mutekedza in Mashonaland
East in the Chivhu Area.

From his father’s family
Given a totem of Zebra Brown
Then recited in love poem daily
by his proud mother
To affirm him as a man

Although he must also
be like the leopard
Unconfined in simple borders
Or tin can walls all around
Able to traverse the world

We as tourists were and are
Salty, smelly, near rotten sardines
I see him smile
And I laugh, and I know
Ndino ziva anorarama se  mbada


©  2017 Jim Davis
Notes:  The last line in Shona language means “I know he lives as a Leopard”
brandon nagley Jul 2016
i.

Lá breithe shona duit, from whence I came.
Birthed from thy womb, a bairn of thy soothe,
Máthair, Máthair; balm to mine wound's.

ii.

How didst thou deal with me, so needy
And in want; yet mother thou didst
Sheweth me that love is worth more
Than material stuff.

iii.

As I grew, it's thee I knew, that shewed me
Compassion existed; in a world still cruel.
Thou art mine guidestone, in heaven's
Room's, thou art the ray that glow's
Like the midnight moon.

iv.

As when the fear doth shew and come,
To thee, Máthair; I'll alway's run. It's
Thy smile that overpowers the sun,
For thou art the one; who bring's
Sunny day's.

v.

Spiritually were connected, in every way,
Emotionally we've resurrected, aloft death's
Own shade; Lá breithe shona duit, for
Another day, mayest ourn Angel's
Guide thy way, and to God we'll
Praise.


©Brandon nagley
©Lonesome poet's poetry
©Juna nagley birthday dedication
Lá breithe shona duit- means happy birthday in old Irish.
Whence- from which, from where.
Bairn- a child.
Máthair; means ( mother) in Irish tongue.
Sheweth or show- means show.
Didst+ did.
Thou and thee - both mean (you) in archaic form.
Shewed- showed, or show another form.
Doth- does.
Thy- your
Aloft- overhead.

Today's my mother's b day happy birthday to my wonderful mother who's been there for me in darkness and in the light! As she is one of my biggest sources of light! Me and her can relate through everything as we've been through everything together! And as we are one spiritually! Get to know me you get to know my mother alot lol me and her are one ! Happy birthday mother! As yesterday was my mom and dad's anniversary as well lol . So two days to celebrate here! Thanks all for reading!
Happy b day mother!
With love your Sunny boy
Brandon!!!
bulletcookie Apr 2016
This translation machine is broken-
trying to say love and it says hate
put in a phrase of friendship tokens
and it levels one at hell's gate

"New-Speak" and Homeland insecurities
una máquina rota, spells of discontent
What breaks borders other language;
Is it bred of complacent, lazy lengua ?

Languishing in privileged syllables
boiling over rice stew vocabularies
slamming with a hip-go spiritual
trying to make sadza in this crucible

This hairpin empire vomits convolutions
history, her-story, suffer culture's debt
education's deficit mouths a babble revolution
while a classicist argument tattles future threats

Talk a tale of totem's gift in parable or song
spill some beans and climb a stalk up a golden path
Give tongue your peace with liberal speech along
while some may grunt we sing a verdant poem

-cec



sadza - in Shona, Ugali in East Africa, is a cooked cornmeal that is the staple food in Zimbabwe and other parts of southern and eastern Africa. This food is cooked widely in other countries of the region. Sadza in appearance is a thickened porridge.
I.

blankets of mist douse
the garden with bluish tinge
chilly night again

---

II.

another Christmas
plagued by masks and boosters though
brighter days ahead

---

III.

extraction of gifts
from their jackets of paper
hands at the ready
Written: December 2021.
Explanation: A set of three haikus relating to the Christmas period - not meant to be taken seriously, and a deviation from my normal style of work. This follows a similar set of (fairly samey) haikus written over the past few years - 'Yuletide Trilogy' (2012), 'Stocking Fillers' (2013), 'Christmas Triptych' (2014), ‘Festive Trio’ (2015), ‘Pulling Crackers’ (2016), Joyeux Noël (2017), Feliz Navidad (2018), Buon Natale (2019) and God Jul (2020). The title is Irish for 'Merry Christmas.' All feedback welcome. A link to my Facebook writing page and Instagram page can be found on my HP home page.
Seema  Aug 2017
Dog (Tanka #38)
Seema Aug 2017
My dog's called Whiskey
He's active and fresky
His other names are,
Pup, Beta, Shona and Boo
He's my little Winni Pooh.

©sim
I have 5 dogs. Whiskey is the eldest shorty. I love my 5 babies too much.
Tanka
5-7-5-7-7 syllables

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