From Gwaza Lubemba to the Sculpture of Love Poem by Gankhanani Moffat Moyo

Staring at the blood-stained pages of my diary
Black-faced memories uncoil
To uncover - the long forgotten sjambok
Whose smack on this black back
Tearing right through into the cracking heart
Slowly rips through my breath
Those days of bitter pain
When we sang Gwaza

Gwaza lubemba,
Nipeni mkondo wane nagiya, inee

But even when the electrocuting cold crept
Into my dying drying asthmatic lungs
Fear loosed upon the citizenry of my village
My mother's warm embrace
From her palm-oil scented arms
Long enough to engulf even my heart
Caressed my breath, tickled to laughter my heart
Reduced the pangs of pains
Exhumed through my bleeding grief
To days of bright laughters
And warm gentle springs of love in the hearts
And, together, my loving, breast-milk smelling mother and I sang Mwam'muzi Uno

Mwam'muzi uno mukumwankhu maji
Naneso nkhamweko

And those murderous blighty days are disposed of
Lovely embraces are embroidered on our hearts
Warm thoughts are unveiled
And beautiful lights are lit
To surround our bright days of life today
Our happiness shrouding our hearts and our Africa
Our mothers architects of our brightnesses
The world remains our love
Let us sing the sweet song of sacred love
And breathe our warm breath of life.