The bridge to long gone men
Is made of white clouds and truth.
We cross to them
Through bits and pieces of memories
Who could think men can turn into
dry bones?
Flesh turning into sap and dust.
Like wind particles.
Even hyenas don’t laugh here.
On windless days, the grave is sick
The sun burns the dry grass of the cemetery
Corroding the metal coffins
The shelter of souls smitten
Abandoned,
But not forgotten.
For they once loved and laughed like you.
On this land,
The shadows are long as of dreams,
Walking and talking too.
And passing one another like nightmares.
The grave has no visible tears and hunger.
Down there, they walk on the other side.
Forgotten and unknown by the living.
In their home upside down.
The land of the living dead.
Where they live on.
Aubrey Sandile Manna Ncube (29) is a filmmaker, author, poet, and a unique storyteller who has written a large volume of unpublished short stories and poetry collections. Some of his poetry has been published online. Aubrey is an Applied Languages graduate of Lupane State University (LSU), and also a film graduate of Zimbabwe Film and Television School of Southern Africa (ZIFTESSA) and currently lives in Zimbabwe.