By Pius Nyondo
I shall pick up a rope, of course
No treasures. Just a bunch of frustrations.
I shall not head south, this time
My crime shall not need judges,
Magistrates and lawyers.
It will be a matter of the heart, of course
A bunch of frustrations, of course
A crime of conscience, of course
A point of no return, of course
A moment for a do or die pronouncement.
I shall wait, for twilight
While seated in the heart of Chikangawa Forest
Beneath a pine tree
To make use of the rope
The K500 rope
That will define my fate
My car – the latest version of BMW models –packed
By the roadside on the M1 road shall smile and,
Thank me a bunch, of course.
For my going
Will make her rest, bring about a new beginning.
I shall feel pain, of course
May be
For sure
I shall cry, of course, but to no avail
For I will be miles and miles and miles away from the rest
Alone in Chikangawa Forest.
Friends will come, of course
To sympathize with my two week old Nancy
Poor widow!
18 year olds don’t make poor widows!
Much more when they get betrothed to
Men they never dreamed of tying a knot with
But that will be the end
No talk about my rubbish
My accolades in sexcapading
My knighthood in beerscapading
My HIV, awarded to me as a hit-and-run goer
At Sinners Live Long Bottle store
May be the mighty one up there
Will whisper into the preacher’s ears
To say to the crowd:
This man lying here
Was not as good as we thought, of course
He married this under aged girl
Against her will
Beat her up like bull.
This man was not very good, of course
He was achidyamakanda
Sleeping with school going girls
Infecting them with HIV.
The preacher will be booed at, of course
For speaking ill of the dead
For talking ill of a man who
Lived a good life
Offering tithe on daily basis to the Church
Good sums.
But Nancy will smile, of course
And my soul will rest in peace
For that will be the truth
Nothing but the truth.
Just wishful thinking, anyway
For no one will be courageous enough
To say ill of the dead me
And it shall not be true at all
It will only be a dream.
Such shall be my fate
As dreamt on my reed made mat.