These poems were recited at our Kitwe Poetry Night on 22 March, 2013 at Kitwe Little Theatre.

 

SCHOOL VILLAGE BOY

By John Kapesa and recited by Moddy Muponisi

 

Country boy in the villa

On foot, bare his feet he trudges

In bottom torn khaki shorts

He runs to school

Seeking classic recognition

Country boy from the villa

On the back of an open lorry

His luggage only what he wears

Aiming for the twilight of the city

And the red-lip-stickered girls

Country boy in the city

Behind his mind

Once he grows older

The twilights he dreams to catch

So too are these beautiful girls

Who he say chirp chips and sausage like birds

Country boy still in the city

Even though dimly the sunlight fades

He notices no change

For his freedom on his cell phone

He now speaks to everyone and back home in the villa

Country boy

For movies he has watched

For city tales narrated before him

Even though distant the cake still appears

One day he dreams to catch it

Country boy aimed for the villa

Tales flew back to the villa

Echoing of his misdemeanor

Decadent morals and bankruptcy

Country boy now headed for the villa

His head bowed in his armpit

In shame and

A certificate of city lifestyle

— xxxxxx —

TECHNOLOGY AND BROOM-NOLOGY

Written and Recited by Barney M Kanjela

 

Smart Joe invented a Car

Where he walked for days on end; it now took hours

The car carried passengers and goods

Unburdening his head and shoulders from carrying heavy loads

And he said it was good

Meanwhile smart Alec had already invented a broom

It travelled in space incognito

Travelled through forests and rivers unseen

As no radar on earth could detect it

Joe’s car carried passengers and goods

The broom carried no passengers

The broom carried no goods

Goods and passengers affected the aerodynamics of the cruising broom

Smart Joe went further and invented a rocket

Where he failed to travel in space and the universe

He jetted within hours

He brought back pictures of space and universe

He carried out experiments in space without gravity and atmospheric interference.

Smart Alec stuck to the broom

Where he previously failed to travel in space and the universe

He jetted yonder within a blink of an eye

He brought back no pictures and he saw it as showing off

He kept them as occupational secrets and mementos

Car and rockets use gas for combustion

The broom does not use any to avoid enriching Arabs

Smart Joe made cars and rockets out of various metals

Smart Alec made his broom from sticks to avoid enriching mining companies

Cars and rockets used garages and launch pads

The broom used no garages and launch pads to lessen on traffic jams and accidents

Joe created grinding mills

Where pounding took days, the mill took minutes

He ground bags and bags in a day and said it was good

Smart Alec created a platter that did better than a grinding mill

It didn’t need spare parts to avoid enriching mining companies

Never employed workers to avoid Jimmy Lungu and the Unions

But effective as it daily collected mealie meal from homes of the unsuspected.

Smart Joe registered his car and rocket to protect them from pirating

Smart Alec never registered his broom

So that anyone and everyone can make the broom without fear of the law

For more info on this broom google www.worldofdarkness.wichcraft.com

— xxxxxx —

GOODBYES AND SMILES

Written by John Kapesa

 

The beautiful smiles every face with it

Some with the grin and small chuckle

Every face would smile to see them

Everyone looked like they were happy

Every pavement was mute when the bus go

Leaving the InterCity of Ndola terminus

Passengers and people waved at each other

Meandering upwards and down as they disappeared

The journey has not only began for those on the bus

But another world too

The sparrow knew and cast a shadow behind

Laughing and or sleeping

None knew they were laughing and sleeping for last

The blast was silently aloud, but unheard

The noise deafening and silent

The mingled remains unrecognisable

For some their goodbye waved for last

Their faces, smiles still appeared

Death has had its wayward on this Post bus

— xxxxxx —

BAKASHANA LISTEN

Written by John Kapesa

Hasten to the tombstone song

For one who lay here

Once sang lovely melodies

Which today now we solemnly listen to

Hasten bakashana

And listen to what elders say

She, who is gone, had a sweet-coated tongue

Honey, she considered in what went through her lips

For as life’s size

That was all that mattered, tongue-twisters

The lovely taste of chips and sausage

The tingling sensation of lager

The fashioned norm of outing

All resonated,

Reverberated

Gladly into her ears

Bakashana,

Today,

With your big wide ears

Listen to what elders speak

And sit your ass down

Love what is already yours

Treasure what is owned by your body

Despise what your hands cannot reach

To this tombstone dirge

It is not the dead to hear

But you, you, it is meant for.

— xxxxxx —

DREAMS

Written and recited by Webster Kamaloni

Sometimes how it hurts

To find you are dreaming

Dreaming, just dreaming

She is so beautiful

She is so nice

There she is in your arms

Just to find you’re dreaming away

She saw a nice car driving away

She saw a nice car driving away

She saw a nice car driving away

Just to find you driving a wire car

It’s so nice living in a mansion

It’s so nice living in a mansion

It’s so nice living in a mansion

Just to find you’re living in a hole.

Now I know that dreams never live

Even though they will take us so far away

Sometimes you find you’re flying in the skies

And other times you’re receiving roses

Just like tonight I dreamt I was alone

With a nice girl enjoying it all

Just to find I was just dreaming away.

— xxxxxx —