Back to Index

Getting married
Emmanuel Sigauke
Extracted from African Writing online, Issue Two
October/November 2007

http://www.african-writing.com/Sep/sigauke.htm

The man from Egypt was caught
whispering behind a hedge
with this woman from Canaan.

the father walked away before they saw him
went to his weapons room
then flew back to the hedge, enraged
but composed. The man, legs tied
by Guilt, the woman, eyes unbelieving the sight,
could run nowhere, could not pretend even.

The rule:
you are caught by the father whispering,
your man takes you home, arranges a messenger,
pays bride price, and you are normalized.

After that, whisper all you want, in hedges or vast sky
no father brandishes axe in your face:
that's life in Egypt and Canaan
distinct and interesting sections
of Highfield, Harare.

*Sigauke was born in Zimbabwe, where he started writing at the age of thirteen. He teaches English at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, where he is an editor of the Cosumnes River Journal. He has published poetry in journals and magazines in Zimbabwe, Ireland and the United States. His recent publications have appeared in Virtual Poet, Slow Trains Journal, Ibhuku, and AfricanWriter.com

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP