Tortoise touched on the wisdom and weight of the values, practices and models centred on the fundamentals of mutual respect, community, humility, love, happiness, selflessness, sympathy and empathy. He cautioned, “What happens to Giraffe also happens to Lion. Laugh at an invalid when you are no more. Beyond the grave. That`s what our foresighted elders admonished us to bear in mind. Do not ever laugh at the wound of another animate. For you don`t know whether tomorrow your body will remain intact and healthy. We know that it is not encouraged for someone to talk ill of the…
Author: Ndaba Sibanda
Though he suffered bouts of stammering and characteristic sluggishness, monotony did not see the light of the day as every animal and bird was all ears. “Just like our bleating or chirping, we all seek to live and thrive. We seek abundant lives. We are animals. We are mammals. The bottom line is that we`re all animates. Whether clawed animal or not. Whether reptile or not. Whether bird or insect. Whether black or white. Whether big or small. Whether smelly or smart. What`s the point of laughing narcissistically at the physical appearance of one animal? Suppose you `re Baboon then…
Cat was still thinking of the antics and travesties of justice committed by Hare and his crony when Bat asked everyone to help ferry the two bodies to a nearby anthill where the deceased would be laid to rest. Ants, birds, animals and reptiles did not shirk the task at hand. They struggled with the bodies, panting, falling and picking themselves up until they arrived at the final resting place for the two friends, and foes of everyone. The anthill was a hub for termites. After the burial, Tortoise became the animal of the moment, the centre of attraction. He…
a sauce of gloss to toss was a set of three lines to defrost, morose sailors set sail across those lines of verse chiseled on their foreheads, linked by rhyme , but never blinked on their terms like thunder, their voices of valor voyaged yonder and left whispery winds in wonder
How They Received Him The sun was lurid and scorching, the lines were sleepy snails, punters neither denounced the searing sun nor the slow-moving queues but decried delayed deliveries of poll papers and paints. He was moving from door to door asking citizens to give him a big vote so that he could become their next prime minister. They chuckled and looked at him as if they thought:here`s a man on a mission to count the number of hairs on our bodies in a split second!
Idealistic, fantastic, realistic or dramatic? They occur before, during and after the casting of votes. Some people call them polls, you may call them elections. Preferably, perceive people peacefully going to the polls, ideally, not wading into a ritualistic and egoistical sham, but a prospect to exercise one’s constitutional right, an endeavor to participate and elect a representative. An ideal proposition and a process to propose and present a voice, a say in governance issues, reform and growth. Elections should be convincing and democratic events that go beyond an ornate, costly, dramatic and divisive run of propaganda,…
couples usually do not know better than to choose to be real, they would rather go with what makes them look and sound unsoiled, unspoiled lovely, dear ,divine, right, ideal than real suitors are like political campaigners, advertisers, public relations persons and the like, they all seek to convince, sway, woo and win by all means possible, they can take one to a cozy , costly hotel but those are momentary baits , hell no, in the midst of infamous famines and folly, they can give away food parcels and gimmicks, it could feel like you are floating and…
The letter b bellows between the words beans and ballot. Can you think of anything else that possibly ties the two terms? My heart oozes happy, hale & hearty wishes for divine , delightful & palatable beans. For positive beans are not just beautiful, they hold a distinctive, delicious & dietary value. Now and then l discern time-saving beans in cute cans, not in disorderly, dull, dirty bins. I mean those that come fully cooked and set, lovely & lip-smacking flavors , you reheat & eat. I hear most beans cook in forty-five minutes; dynamic, dried beans…
Meanwhile, Cat could not believe that Hare was dead. His mind wondered to the fact that was no secret, the truth that he had killed and eaten many an animal by playing a cooking game with them. They said he was worse than a hen that ate her own eggs, and then professed ignorance of their stealthy decrease and disappearance. Though he was advanced in age, toothless and hard of hearing, he relished tucking into other animal`s meat. He derived pleasure from eating game. And he always had a game up his sleeve. The soot of his pot he…
Hare, looking pale and piteous, stood up, and he was atypically shivering. His voice quivered, “ Yes, judge. I…l bbb… butchered mmm..more animals, bbb..birds… ree..reptiles, inn….insects than l can …remember..” To think that he used to deliver brilliant and coherent speeches and to compare those presentations to that stuttered revelation was like some kind of a joke or a dream. Animals, reptiles, insects and reptiles were speechless. They were stunned. Bat asked Elephant to respond to the accusations of perpetuating of an ogre of intimidations, disappearances and mass murders under the instructions of Hare. Elephant tried to stand up, and…
Hare and Elephant were hauled to a court of justice. The ten -member jury had insects, birds, reptiles and animals in it. Bat presided over the deliberations. Every bird, every reptile, every animal and every insect watched the proceedings with keen interest. Hare wanted to talk, but most animals reacted angrily to this. “Shut up, shut up, father of thieves and killers! Your time is up, can`t you see? You have no right to address us. After all, we all know that you want to shield yourself with lies! Not this time. Close your big mouth! “Bull-frog, whose neck all…
In fact, chatty Cat clapped his claws, and shouted, “Well done, Snail and Pig! What a scintillating performance to mark a great occasion!” He bent his neck towards Cockroach and remarked, “l am sure we are unanimous that Elephant has to carry his own trunk, because it cannot be too heavy for him now! His mere presence and sight used to get tongues wagging. He was Hare`s eyes and ears. He instilled fear in us, we watched whatever we had to say in his presence. Remember, Dog, though loyal as he was –one day decided to say enough is enough.…
“I remember one day, again, Hare let it off, and it was so pervasive and strong that Ngcethe exclaimed with disgust. Elephant did not take kindly to that exclamation, and ordered the small bird to retract his statement and admit that it was a slip of the tongue on his part. Imagine, he then encouraged us to inhale that poison quietly and blissfully as if our bodies were artificial! It means our wellbeing was nothing to the two villains. Hare ate things he ate alone by virtue of his greedy heart. He was heartless. He did not give us anything…
My father will resurrect and storm out of the grave and demand justice! l swear with my own father who was tricked into holding on to a boulder by Hare until tiredness took its toll on him, and eventually the rock crushed him to death. I am an orphan but he is still around and alive, and ready to do much more harm. No. Simply No. Hare has always deluded himself that he monopolises wisdom and power. The time of reckoning is upon us. What does not end is portentous, our elders aptly said. What flies, no matter high, at…
In the true spirit of love, peace and progress, let me say this in a humble way, we`re now friends, brothers and sisters. By the same token, l mean in the spirit of fairness, we`re all equal and worthy of utmost love, respect and protection. However, the same cannot be said for Hare and Elephant. I know that Hare`s patently embarrassing defeat has come as quite a shock for Elephant. Honestly, in life, whenever one is taking others for granted, the hour of judgment is always coming. It does not matter how long it takes. It does not matter how…
‘Trouble for Sale’ is a rare and rebellious work of art whose title is intriguing and apt. Just like an opening, a good title can tantalize and magnetize potential readers and buyers alike. Such is the title of Maina Wahome’s action-packed political satire. The title is intriguing and apt not only because it is denotative or evocative of ‘trouble’ that is brewing but also by virtue of its ability to galvanize a reader into exploring and toying around with a number of questions and ideas around that imagery. One suddenly gets rained down by a downpour of questions: What type…
On that day, Hyena, a nocturnal drifter heaved in sight. So did Owl. Ngcethe, the smallest bird in the vicinity, immediately flew off and landed on the neck of Hyena, and before any one animal or bird or insect could ask what was the matter with Ngcethe, he had nestled on the head of Owl. In fact, he soiled Owl`s head with great generosity. When asked about the reason behind his antics, he chortled”, Wee! Wee! Wee! They say night is right for their naughty acts. These two are comrades in night crimes! We don`t sleep because of their night…
The groups were many and various beyond count. They seemed to be in the seventh heaven of happiness. For example, there was an army of ants and caterpillars ,a herd of buffalo and antelope , a brood of chickens, a litter of cubs, a cowardice of curs, a clowder of cats, a quiver of cobras and an intrusion of cockroaches, all crowning the entire gathering a beauty of diversity . It was a bustle and hustle. A colourful hive of activity, it was. Indeed the forest was intoxicated with the newly found glee of freedom, hope and unity. Peacock in…
When The South Africans Rose To The Occasion The year was 2023 and the American skies were filled with haze and hazard, the citizens’ hearts with fright. What was behind the record wildfires? Were the fear-provoking blazes an upshot of lightning or human activity? Videos and satellite images captured the wildfires that were raging across that country in North America, their smoke was not thinning out, reaching Pennsylvania. I am told the South African firefighters broke out in song and dance at the airport as if to convince the obviously anxious citizens of Canada that definite assistance…
Then he would ensconce on his raised grass -and -leaf-cushioned bed, then roll and dance on it without a care in the world. He would let out an obviously forced and elongated laughter, declaring that he had run his eyes over the breadth and width of the forest and had not seen any single animal worthy and capable of outrunning him even during his sleepiest and weakest moments. Not in his lifetime, no animal, no insect, no reptile, no bird should delude himself or herself of taking the crown away from him, he swore boastfully. No animal, no insect, no…
An Introduction of the serialized form of One Day The Tortoise Will Outrun The Hare Dear reader, what about treating you to a story that is told in parts and unveiled in installments over a period of time? Indeed, this month marks the launch of the serialization of my short story: One Day The Tortoise Will Outrun The Hare. Anthropomorphism is when an animal can talk in a story. It is usually used in stories and art. Outline If you have read my novel, Timebomb: Before The Spring Rains you will probably know that it serves as an allegorical prologue…
For brilliance & guidance, the mind eats out of their hand till nourishment, as they counsel, cheer, castigate & caution. Who can deny that the power of the fish is in the water? The tears of a man drop onto his chest? Is it “unmanly” to cry or tear? Don’t men try to hide that they are sad or low? Away from our egos as men, let’s humbly agree that it’s natural & right for us to express our sad emotions! A good orphan is one who is licked by a parent. Chew it. Proverbs can be…
As Sihle went shopping, she hoped she would stick to her long shopping list, she just couldn’t afford to descend deeper into debt, into budgetary woes. She couldn’t allow her emotions to drive her conduct or choices, or rather that’s how she cautioned herself as she entered the mall, but once inside: overconfidence, fear and loss aversion seized her. She was overconfident she had enough money to buy more, she feared that if she didn’t grab items ‘on special’ (not on her list), she would lose out and regret, hence she purchased based on loss aversion, not ba…
In most cases, with very little support, coupled with mediocre pay and working conditions —nurses—like teachers and social workers, have the wellbeing of the general public at heart, they embody care and love, they humanise gallantry and allegiance. If nurses and doctors are the backbone of healthcare systems , then educators and education managers are the mainstay of education since their noble profession is the parent and incubator of other careers, nurses and doctors are the products of teachers. Today we celebrate and salute nurses for educating patients and the public on how to prevent and deal with…
On bumping into me, she didn’t mince her words as if she sought to give me a piece of her mind right on the road! She halted, greeted me and professed: I enjoy your poetry but please, please, don’t tell me sickening ,stifling stories about some misguided African leaders who promote medical tourism overseas instead of building viable, well- equipped, staffed, funded health institutions at home. I want to read poems about breakthroughs. I said: that’s fine, relax, beloved reader, I hear there’s a little medical leap forward as far as the slowing down of Alzheimer’s disease is…
The last time I saw him, he was serious, he wasn’t joking about windswept islands, he was contemptuous of tedious ,tawdry and toadying political tricks and filthy frisks. The last time I had a chat with him in a banking hall, he hit out at bank robbers and compared the gang to pilotless planes that passengers couldn’t trust their lives and the dear lives of their families with at any given time. The last time I saw comedian Sibabhekile, he neither touched on stomach-turning spendthrifts and thieves nor on smugglers, yet, he cautioned people against dining with a…
She dropped a tiny tear that was unhappy it had inhabited an unhospitable hospital. All she wanted at that aching moment in time was to forget herself and the woes of the day. The odor of neglect and scarcity in that ward seemed to knock the breath out of her body. She wanted sanity to live within the flexibilities of her mind, but nightmarish poverty freewheeled. Engulfed by a rage at having to put up with the mess, her wounded soul winded the thorny thread of decay & depravity.
On an Earth Day like today I see a ray of light and sway. I perceive a horizon that seeks and speaks of health and happiness. That pledges that the food we feast on, and the water we drink are cheap and safe. That safeguards that the air we breathe and the goods we use are as harmless as possible. On an Earth Day like today I see a ray of light and sway. I become wild with positivity and tenacity when I see practices of rewilding and restoration. The modest efforts to protect and respect local groups, vulnerable…
Where do you turn to for delight and diet? Where do you turn to for a deep, deep doze of hilarity, honesty, health and happiness? Where do you turn to for words of perception, encouragement, enlightenment, enrichment; a flash of reflection, a fountain of fun, a touch of teachings and tips, a mirror held up to life? Where do you turn to for action, inspiration, and direction in a world plunged into confusion? Please tell me, where do you turn to for choices, good company, quality time, empathy, connection, consultations, visions, insights and melodies? Where do you turn to for…
Some stories read like real movies, these are sagas that sneak and shudder or stiffen one’s hair, leave one wondering, scratching one’s head for possible inklings until one converts into a hairless wonderer who is not filled with approval, glee and awe. Some stories swarm with conundrums and controversies and complicities like fast and frantic forthcoming films where authors and all can be interviewed along with the cast of the stage adaption, queries like: is this realism or surrealism?
