Tatenda

Tatenda

Basking in dawns harmony,
The cry of the hadida ibis
Echoing throughout the conservancy,
Mingling with the call of a peacock,
Bridged with the constant drone of the ocean;
Sitting on recently erected telephone lines,
Already partially covered in wild vines,
A solitary Knysna loerie stretches its wings.

Thrust to this paradise in discontent,
In the wake of economic turmoil,
Global financial meltdown.
Using this moment in time,
To ponder on values and constants,
The premise of these based on
Do unto others,
As you would have them do unto you.

Before I start doing to others,
Do I draw up a list of give me’s?
Or do I return to my roots?
Firmly spread and planted across Africa.
A continent governed by nature,
Controlled by men flaunting those laws,
Ignoring the important law;
The harvest comes from the seed.

Tatenda is thank you in Shona
It is not only an expression it is an action;
It is giving with the left hand,
Supported by the right hand,
With one knee slightly bent in respect;
It is used in greeting, giving and receiving,
It is the foundation of a culture.
Now is the time to get back to Tatenda.

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Line count 40