Goodbye, Tafara

Fate propelled me into your belly When my own prayers went unanswered In the wake of the harvest of thorns When the alien- buffered by our silence Shackled, manacled and butchered Those of us that would not capitulate. Yes, fate propelled me into your womb And there I lay- prostrate For a season and a half A whole season and a half- Unmolested, unmanacled, unshackled By those who would rather I died. I said fate propelled me, do you hear? And your womb protected me And let me germinate, grow and blossom; Even though the alien scoffed and ranted Yet the cord of our freedom The umbilical cord- resisted. That applause- that roar, that rapturous uproar Of multitudes hitherto unknown Pollinated the seed of my pride As the first child of a free nation! For the first time, I walked and marched With my head high and my feet firm! Oh, yes, I walked and marched And lived as in second heaven! Yet now I must leave in haste- You cannot bid me ‘Farewell’ And I cannot bid you ‘Goodbye’. Not because I love you any less! Not because you love me any less! But who can argue with a bulldozer? Who can hold court with a gun? If only the gun and the bulldozer Were in the hands of the alien We might have consulted an oracle We might have raised our voices. But the gun was in the hands of Tendai The bulldozer was driven by Tatenda And the order was given by Tawanda. These are your children, Tafara These are your own children I cannot argue with your children. So, I go back to where I came from Even though I know not where And re-kindle my unanswered prayer! As I compose this belated farewell I am on my way to nowhere For I know, you, too, are on your way To nowhere! Yes, I am on my way! Goodbye, Tafara!