…eyes shut, breath held,
sea-salt crystals diffuse in warm bath swallowing my entirety
all noises mute except my mother’s heartbeat
and I savour the snugness of her womb
content and oblivious to my existence
shrinking gradually ’til I float away like a dandelion wish
through a dark tunnel peeling off the veil of ignorance
that has for many seasons enveloped my being
and my knowing returns as I ascend past storeyed realms
’til I reach the seventh dimension at the top of my spine
—a cave opens to nyikadzimu where
Chifedza, Mudzungairi, Chiremba naNehanda, my spirit guides
usher me through, ululating and jubilating
mhondoro dzinomwa munaSave
mhondoro dzinomwa munaSave…
here, we’re fleshless, ageless, sexless, perchance epicene
certainly egoless and selfless, painless
we drink nature’s nectar of perennial bliss
speaking not, but conversing through thought
we know truth and I feel my presence here and now
and Mwari’s presence is as clear as thought
my memory returns and I begin to recognise myself
in a new light I have not done in the flesh—
I know who I am, and I am home
where suns and moons don’t stop illuming their light
all galaxies and their stars beautifully brazen…
residing on the sandy shores of Dziva Guru
a tranquil lake harbouring mermaid spirits
we’re backdropped by hills and roaring rivers
and waterfalls with rainbows in nameless hues,
grasses and trees perpetually lush with fruit
that can only be picked and savoured by thought…
it is timeless and I don’t know how long I’ve been here or how long I’ll stay…
doing only what I love—writing, painting, percussioning
Nhare, Nyunga Nyunga and music instruments I’ve not seen before
I am mentored by seraphic creatures exuding love ever flowing
like Mwari’s omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence
here, as she is in all dimensions; she is love, I am love and I love it here
’til mhondoro show me woman enduring earthly realm— it is mother(!)
the sacredness of our bond makes me love her at once and that wills my destiny
the cords of which firmly entwine our souls’ pledge
their counsel—it won’t be easy
my response—I can do this
they usher me back to the cave and I descend my spine via other realms
back to my mother’s womb, the darkness of ignorance once again engulfing my being
and when I reach my destination, she pushes me out…
re-entering my flesh back in the water, I am born again—
only to find mother no longer here…
Samantha Rumbidzai Vazhure is a bilingual author who grew up in Masvingo. She resides in Wales, usually writing about matters of the heart, the human condition, the migrant experience, womanhood and equality. She has published a poetry collection in chiKaranga – Zvadzugwa Musango, which she translated to English – Uprooted, a novel – Painting a
Mirage, and a collection of poems – Starfish Blossoms, which won the NAMA for Outstanding Poetry Book in 2023. Samantha has also compiled short story anthologies by Zimbabwean writers, Turquoise Dreams and Brilliance of Hope.