A Teapot Poem by Deluke Muwanigwa

A teapot

I live in a teapot
So to speak
My homeland is shaped like a teapot
Unfortunately we have no sea port
The British Empire made sure of that
Putting artificial borders when they stuck in their imperial noses.
When they came in 1890 with guns and roses.

We have two main tribes
The Shonas with five dialects
And the Ndebeles with three
We have had a chequered tribal history
But, today we are talking about tea
Or rather, the teapot which we live in
Which we drown in
Die in.

Our teapot has segments
As tea has sediments
Ten provinces in technical lingo
We have abolished tribalism
Enshrined this in our constitution
Then gone on to name provinces using tribal names
It's unbelievable

There's Mashonaland Province
For the Shonas made up of Mash East, Mash West, Mash Central
There's Matebeleland for the Ndebeles, made up of Mat North and Mat South. Then Manicaland bordering Mozambique. This is where the tea in the teapot is grown. In the Eastern Highlands.
Then there is Masvingo Province, Harare Province and Bulawayo Province. Midlands Province in the middle.

The teapot is full like that. The teapot shaped country called Zimbabwe.
This poem is not about tribes
Nor geopolity
Or government policy
Its about a teapot
I live in a teapot
So to speak
My homeland is shaped like a teapot. 'Tanganda Tea is the biggest grower and producer of tea and coffee in Zimbabwe and one of the biggest tea producers in Africa.'

If you love tea, we welcome you to our teapot shaped country. We are a very happy go lucky people, friendliest in Africa, i think
Tea and beer we do drink
Never mind what haters say about our teapot, we are a people apart.
Always joking, hardworking and loving our teapot to death.
If and when you come to Africa, Zimbabwe, the home of the Victoria Falls, is the place to be.
Trust me
We are free
Come see
Come to tea

C.22102021