How could M. al-Zaidi throw two shoes
At Bush before anybody got to him?
How could he bend down twice
Picking a shoe each time he did
Without anybody getting to him?
It’s not like taking two pistol shots
Just draw once and pull the trigger twice
It’s bending to pick a shoe and unleashing it
Then bending again for another and unleashing it
How did M. al-Zaidi manage that at Bush
Before anyone got to him to unleash a push
With what we know of US Secret Service?
M. al-Zaidi, an Iraqi journalist,
In the heart of the Middle East
The citadel of ruthless suicide bombers
Thought Bush a sitting duck for shoe-shots
On that last surprise visit
But to M. al-Zaidi's surprise,
Bush ducked both shots
Before any could get to him
How could M. al-Zaidi throw two shoes
At Bush before anybody got to him?
How could he bend down twice
Picking a shoe each time he did
Without anybody getting to him?
Someone should have got to either the shoes
Before they overflew Bush's headspace
Or to M. al-Zaidi before he even unleashed them
Better still, before the idea was even mooted
What if he was another shoe bomber?
With abundant chance to try it twice
Those shoes could have exploded in Bush's vicinity
Worse still, Bush was still there
When both shoes landed, one after another
What if the shoes were meant to explode on impact?
M. al-Zaidi would have claimed a US President's life
As he stood there with Nuri al-Malikki
The Prime Minister of Iraq
Within the vicinity of the two shoes
like Manhattan's Twin Towers
targets of two planes of 9/11
Seven years later
Bush and al- Malikki,
targets of two shoes of 14/12
An Iraqi would have scored a first
Assasinating a US President on Iraqi soil
At the tail end of Bush's Presidency
M. al Zaidi, that Iraqi, stole the spotlight
Off G.W.B’s last visit in the Middle East
Joburg SA
On GWB's visit to Zambia Dec 02, 2011
December 02, 2011
December 01, 2011
Not Lived in Vain
Emptiness creeps into the heart every now and again,
A feeling of Loss for a life lived in vain,
Skipping the gaps and Cherishing the scarce Cherries,
Connecting the few Sparks on a Dark Path
And Counting them as Blessings,
For nothing is worth the Gain
Without mourning with Anguish and Pain
The Darks and Brights lost on this Journey
Holding Dear the Lessons Learnt and Dues Paid
To give the Breath ahead a Worthy Stay
Otherwise, I trudge in Vain With Utter Dismay
'Tis why I love You Still,
Come what may, how ever you feel!
A feeling of Loss for a life lived in vain,
Skipping the gaps and Cherishing the scarce Cherries,
Connecting the few Sparks on a Dark Path
And Counting them as Blessings,
For nothing is worth the Gain
Without mourning with Anguish and Pain
The Darks and Brights lost on this Journey
Holding Dear the Lessons Learnt and Dues Paid
To give the Breath ahead a Worthy Stay
Otherwise, I trudge in Vain With Utter Dismay
'Tis why I love You Still,
Come what may, how ever you feel!
June 14, 2011
CAMPUS DANCE
Dance the dance of the song I sing
Dance the dance I intend to bring
Welcome to Campus
Beat the moves of my beat
I sing in my favourite song
And they twist and wiggle to belong
Faster I say and harder they sway
I watch them dance to my campus song
Fools dance all night till morning light
Dancing long after the song is gone
Poisoned by the lyrics of my song
That repeats in their hearts and mind
In the spell of my vibes, fools I bind
Dance the dance of the song I sing
Dance the dance I intend to bring
Welcome to Campus
Bellies bulge, backs bend, babies bleat by year end,
Then they realize, all they heard were lies
My landlord was imaginary, my path won’t bend
I sung the campus song, while fools danced
I flipped page upon page, read and passed
Open your eyes
See beyond the lies
Come to Campus to pass
Not to sway to my song enmasse
Please, open your eyes I say
Welcome to Campus
Benne E Banda
Johannesburg,June 13,
Dance the dance I intend to bring
Welcome to Campus
Beat the moves of my beat
I sing in my favourite song
And they twist and wiggle to belong
Faster I say and harder they sway
I watch them dance to my campus song
Fools dance all night till morning light
Dancing long after the song is gone
Poisoned by the lyrics of my song
That repeats in their hearts and mind
In the spell of my vibes, fools I bind
Dance the dance of the song I sing
Dance the dance I intend to bring
Welcome to Campus
Bellies bulge, backs bend, babies bleat by year end,
Then they realize, all they heard were lies
My landlord was imaginary, my path won’t bend
I sung the campus song, while fools danced
I flipped page upon page, read and passed
Open your eyes
See beyond the lies
Come to Campus to pass
Not to sway to my song enmasse
Please, open your eyes I say
Welcome to Campus
Benne E Banda
Johannesburg,June 13,
March 11, 2011
NE NYAKULILA NINE
Niti nizingwe nine, Ne nyakulila nine
Wangu wasunama
Mtaba wa nyuka nga n’chimphuza chiliye msindo
Chimfule chaya tashala tumba pamtete
tumba na bana bansiwa pazuba
Nga akapontha akamilwa manzi muli wanda
Vizo vasankhantika, wangu wasunama
Nivine tyani mazya, iyo ninsongwe ya maliro
Niti nizingwe nine, Ne nyakulila nine
Wangu wasunama
Ne kapontha natamana
Nakamilwa manzi muli matizye
Wangu watangula kuya kumzizi
kumsili kunisali, Kufumave muswe chiliye nam’tende
nashala mpofu, nitauke tyani Lupande akaleta?
Nipite tyani mulinsenzi, usiku muli kapamphansi
Mwezi waya kumfunzi, chisaniko changu chazima,
Musinzo watambalala, ne nayangalala
naba chibebe, ne bwato uliye nkafi
Nazingwa nine, Ne nyakulila nine, Wangu wasunama
Nipandekoni mano ne,
Nakamilwa manzi muli wanda
The world’s multitudes will mourn with me
Storms of tears will burst the earthly river banks
Raising high the tides of every lake and sea,
Yet, they will never drown my sorrow!
Not today; no thanks, not tomorrow
Tears will never fill my yawning canyon of grief
For my beloved who now lies stiff
For after the funeral is done and gone
My dearly beloved interred to eternity
My bereavement shall still be intact, not even halved
My heart heavy-laden to the bream
My mind, wishing to awaken out of this eerie dream
My tongue ruefully praying in a silent scream
Pakuti Niti nizingwe nine, Ne nyakulila nine
Wangu niye wasunama
Nazingwa ne natamana
Nakamilwa manzi muli matizye
Nikumvwa msowa koma muli nanthungulu
Kuti wangu wasunama, soyasuka, sonimvwa
Naita navupa, misozi yakama, lizu yalama
Nthungulu naituluwizya, mwe mwakwasu
Si nthungulu iweme, inga nibani watemwa?
Nazingwe nine, Ne nyakulila nine
Wangu wasunama
Nashala neka ne
Nakamilwa manzi muli wanda
Mtima wa fina nachitinthi ngan’mkumbi yam’zambwe
Misozi m’menso yalokwa ingan’milochi m’mainza
Nalabantha kupula kaleza, naimba nsongwe nsiku zapaka,
Sunulala, nulila m’zuba na usiku, mkuya nsiku
Koma yayi, wangu wasunama mphela
Niti nizingwe nine, Ne nyakulila nine
Wangu wasunama
Njavyeni kulila mwe
Nakamilwa manzi muli matizye
I look into the teary eyes of the mourners
Thinking, who knows my loss better than I do?
Who among them has lost theirs to the monster too?
Like the dew that comes with the breeze at dawn
When the sun rises, won’t they all too soon be gone
And I just remain a flitting image in their minds
Fading away at every moment in new things they find
Eventually dusting me off their memory shelf with time
Yet to me I am, and will still be for years to come
The most bereaved by my most dearly beloved
Pakuti ne nyakulila nine! Niti Nizingwe nine
Ni wangu wasunama
Nipandekoni mano ne,
Nakamilwa manzi muli wanda
The whispers in my ear, contained in the wind
That’s blowing past me this day, speaking to say
‘the loneliness I fear, the longing in my mind,
the yearning for that touch, the solace I cannot find’
Exceeds all the pity I can summon, c’mon
Asukulu echiti, ‘We mwana, uku niye kukula,
Kosa, upole mtima, koma kaze n’kaze, osaluba’
You are the only hope for tomorrow!
Ne nyakulila nine, pakuti wangu niye wasunama
Nine nakamilwa pa chitowo
Wangu wasunama
Mtaba wa nyuka nga n’chimphuza chiliye msindo
Chimfule chaya tashala tumba pamtete
tumba na bana bansiwa pazuba
Nga akapontha akamilwa manzi muli wanda
Vizo vasankhantika, wangu wasunama
Nivine tyani mazya, iyo ninsongwe ya maliro
Niti nizingwe nine, Ne nyakulila nine
Wangu wasunama
Ne kapontha natamana
Nakamilwa manzi muli matizye
Wangu watangula kuya kumzizi
kumsili kunisali, Kufumave muswe chiliye nam’tende
nashala mpofu, nitauke tyani Lupande akaleta?
Nipite tyani mulinsenzi, usiku muli kapamphansi
Mwezi waya kumfunzi, chisaniko changu chazima,
Musinzo watambalala, ne nayangalala
naba chibebe, ne bwato uliye nkafi
Nazingwa nine, Ne nyakulila nine, Wangu wasunama
Nipandekoni mano ne,
Nakamilwa manzi muli wanda
The world’s multitudes will mourn with me
Storms of tears will burst the earthly river banks
Raising high the tides of every lake and sea,
Yet, they will never drown my sorrow!
Not today; no thanks, not tomorrow
Tears will never fill my yawning canyon of grief
For my beloved who now lies stiff
For after the funeral is done and gone
My dearly beloved interred to eternity
My bereavement shall still be intact, not even halved
My heart heavy-laden to the bream
My mind, wishing to awaken out of this eerie dream
My tongue ruefully praying in a silent scream
Pakuti Niti nizingwe nine, Ne nyakulila nine
Wangu niye wasunama
Nazingwa ne natamana
Nakamilwa manzi muli matizye
Nikumvwa msowa koma muli nanthungulu
Kuti wangu wasunama, soyasuka, sonimvwa
Naita navupa, misozi yakama, lizu yalama
Nthungulu naituluwizya, mwe mwakwasu
Si nthungulu iweme, inga nibani watemwa?
Nazingwe nine, Ne nyakulila nine
Wangu wasunama
Nashala neka ne
Nakamilwa manzi muli wanda
Mtima wa fina nachitinthi ngan’mkumbi yam’zambwe
Misozi m’menso yalokwa ingan’milochi m’mainza
Nalabantha kupula kaleza, naimba nsongwe nsiku zapaka,
Sunulala, nulila m’zuba na usiku, mkuya nsiku
Koma yayi, wangu wasunama mphela
Niti nizingwe nine, Ne nyakulila nine
Wangu wasunama
Njavyeni kulila mwe
Nakamilwa manzi muli matizye
I look into the teary eyes of the mourners
Thinking, who knows my loss better than I do?
Who among them has lost theirs to the monster too?
Like the dew that comes with the breeze at dawn
When the sun rises, won’t they all too soon be gone
And I just remain a flitting image in their minds
Fading away at every moment in new things they find
Eventually dusting me off their memory shelf with time
Yet to me I am, and will still be for years to come
The most bereaved by my most dearly beloved
Pakuti ne nyakulila nine! Niti Nizingwe nine
Ni wangu wasunama
Nipandekoni mano ne,
Nakamilwa manzi muli wanda
The whispers in my ear, contained in the wind
That’s blowing past me this day, speaking to say
‘the loneliness I fear, the longing in my mind,
the yearning for that touch, the solace I cannot find’
Exceeds all the pity I can summon, c’mon
Asukulu echiti, ‘We mwana, uku niye kukula,
Kosa, upole mtima, koma kaze n’kaze, osaluba’
You are the only hope for tomorrow!
Ne nyakulila nine, pakuti wangu niye wasunama
Nine nakamilwa pa chitowo
Uwa Kwensha Ubushiku
It Is Growing Up – That Is What They Say
A Tree That Has Never Lost A Leaf To The Wind
Will Never Know The Pain Of Lacking
It Will Never Learn To Cherish Its Own
It Is Growing Up – That Is What They Say
A Bird That Has Never Hit Into A Tree In Flight
Will Never Cherish The Benefit Of Sight
It Will Never Learn To Embrace Precision
It Is Growing Up – That Is What They Say
A Wheel That Has Never Lost A Sprocket In A Spin
Will Never Know The Pain Of Imbalance
It Will Never Learn To Appreciate Each Sprockets Worth
Yes, It Is Growing Up – That Is What They Say
A Flock That Has Never Lost A Shepherd To A Monster
Will Never Know The Benefit Of Initiative
It Will Never Conjure Positive Intuition For Guidance
Experience Is the Best Teacher – That Is What They Say
Uwakwensha Ubushiku Bamutasha Lilya Bwacha
Unfortunately, They Might Not Be There At Daybreak
Thanking Them At Every Point Is Good Practice
Is This Our Point Of Intersection In Growing Up?
With The Visionary Lost To The Monster
The Main Sprocket Broken In Speed
A Nourishing Leaf Lost To The Wind
Will The Flickering Light Shine Brighter In The Mind
In This Instance Of A Rude Awakening?
A Tree That Has Never Lost A Leaf To The Wind
Will Never Know The Pain Of Lacking
It Will Never Learn To Cherish Its Own
It Is Growing Up – That Is What They Say
A Bird That Has Never Hit Into A Tree In Flight
Will Never Cherish The Benefit Of Sight
It Will Never Learn To Embrace Precision
It Is Growing Up – That Is What They Say
A Wheel That Has Never Lost A Sprocket In A Spin
Will Never Know The Pain Of Imbalance
It Will Never Learn To Appreciate Each Sprockets Worth
Yes, It Is Growing Up – That Is What They Say
A Flock That Has Never Lost A Shepherd To A Monster
Will Never Know The Benefit Of Initiative
It Will Never Conjure Positive Intuition For Guidance
Experience Is the Best Teacher – That Is What They Say
Uwakwensha Ubushiku Bamutasha Lilya Bwacha
Unfortunately, They Might Not Be There At Daybreak
Thanking Them At Every Point Is Good Practice
Is This Our Point Of Intersection In Growing Up?
With The Visionary Lost To The Monster
The Main Sprocket Broken In Speed
A Nourishing Leaf Lost To The Wind
Will The Flickering Light Shine Brighter In The Mind
In This Instance Of A Rude Awakening?
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