I smell him sometimes…
by the fruit and veg aisle in a supermarket,
when I’m stuck in rush hour traffic,
when I pass the suitcase with his things still
parked under the staircase waiting
for my courage to turn up.
And sometimes,
a ghost of liturgical hymns
loops in my mind, their lyrics lost
to the same corpse
that stole my happy place.
Samantha Rumbidzai Vazhure grew up in Masvingo. Her debut poetry collection, Zvadzugwa Musango, penned in chiKaranga, was translated to English – Uprooted. She has two published novels – Painting a Mirage, and Weeping Tomato, which won the NAMA for Outstanding Fiction in 2025. Her collection of poems, Starfish Blossoms, won the NAMA for Outstanding Poetry in 2023. She published her first children’s book, The Magic Greenhouse, in 2024. Samantha has also compiled a Zimbabwean women’s poetry anthology, Tesserae, and two short story anthologies by Zimbabwean writers, Turquoise Dreams and Brilliance of Hope. Find Samantha on: Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, Website