Wisdom Simwaba

​

Oh death, oh death,
what have you done to my perfect life?
You have left me
in this circumstance, where I cry for love
like a desert
craving drizzles of water.

​

You’ve taken my father,
just like an automobile driver
being chased by traffic officers.
Due to you, death,
my father, who was supposed to live long
like a tortoise,
has departed
in a momentary hush,
within fugitive hours.
He triumphed, yet
the opposite came to pass.

​

Now I cry out loud,
the rhythm of my voice pronounced,
just like a hammer’s beat.
Oh death, oh death,
I feel a vengeful desire for you,
but you’re not human—
just like a hurricane that destroys everything
while we stand helpless.

​

Oh death, oh death,
as I wander down the avenue,
so confused, like a lunatic,
I look at amusement parks,
try to laugh, but
I can't. Grief has covered me
like a baby born in winter
wrapped in stripes of flannel.

​

Oh death, oh death,
you lurked and waited
for a moment to ambush
and take my loving dad.