Ode To Poet John Sensele Poem by Deluke Muwanigwa

Ode to Poet John Sensele

John Sensele is my poet brother from beyond the Zambezi River. An accomplished poet on PH. Here is an ode to him and the people of Zambia.

"One Zambia, One Nation". This was Kenneth Kaunda, the Founding President of Zambia's rallying call.
He would wave his white kerchief and we would wave back. I was a kid then,10 years old, hiding from the bullets and bombs of the Rhodesian army. A refugee.

It was Zambia who spread her wings to protect me, when the Hawker Hunter jets brought me gifts of death from across the Zambezi. When the Aluoette helicopter gunship came hovering over us with lethal payloads. We hid together and died together with Zambia.

It was Zambia which gave me my first lesson in reading literature. I remember pronouncing "hydrochloric acid" correctly in second grade.

It was in Zambia where i experienced sweet tugs at my young heartstrings. My first experience with puppy love. In second grade i met a pretty South African refugee girl. A refugee and a refugee drawn together far away from our homes. Where ever she is, dead or alive, it was mother Zambia who brought us together.

Zambia praise to thee. My second home is in Kitwe, Chimwemwe at 3136. I remember we played as kids in the Chidambo Valley. We shopped at Kamunga Shops and went to school at Chibote Primary School. As boys, our favourite pastime was watching stock car racing at Ganaton grounds.

Zimbabwe owes its Independence to Zambia. We are Siamese twins sharing the Zambezi River, the Victoria Falls, the Kariba Dam and together we rise and fall.