Fighting God

When we have spent all night wrestling God,

Like Jacob, it is His touch that will conquer us.

When we are planning to kill Jesus like the Jews,

It is His death on the cross that will defeat us.

When like Peter we have not caught any fish all night,

It is His word that will fill our nets and tear them.


Ignatius Mabasa, 2011

Kombi Driver

The kombi driver, like the self-styled prophet is an urban legend and modern trickster. He is almost always angry and impatient and ready to break rules and manipulate situations. Both these guys are heroes and villains and very much a phenomenon of our desperation and entangled morals.

Madomasi

Semadomasi ari pamusika,

pane zvinhu zviviri zvinogona kuitika kwatiri:

Kutengwa kana kuora nekuraswa,

Kuwana denga kana kurishaya.

Interview with a chair

You look old, tired and worn out.

Yes, I have been around for a while.

Doing what?

People sitting on me, and being pushed around.

Does it hurt?

No, people sitting on me have let me listen to their stories.

Must be very interesting!

Yeah, sometimes.

Did anybody not sit you?

Yes, some kids jumped on me and broke my leg.

I am sorry.

But one broken woman once knelt and rested her elbows on me and prayed.

She hugged me as she wept and prayed to God, and that was sweet.

Nyika Yapera Wrong Time

My new Gospel Poetry CD is out. Here are some of the lines from the title track:


If the world ended while you were in the shower uchizuzuma
Would you tell Jesus to wait for you to dry yourself
To admire yourself in the mirror, to put on your Gucci perfume
Would you call a friend on your Nokia mobile phone
To tell them Pulp Fiction was a movie, but Jesus is real?
Would you instruct your bodyguards to protect you, call for extra security?
Would you tell Jesus you wanted to look good, to visit a salon and stun the angels?
If the world ended as you tried your wedding gown, your wedding ring…wedding day…wedding day
Would you say to Jesus – come back next year because now is a wrong time?

Ngwanda-ngwanda, ngondo-ngondo, zhokoto-zhii-i
Ndege, masatellites nezvamakaturika zvichadonha sematamba
Newe hwindi mukombi umo nyika ichapera uchideedzera kuti
One ari kumhanya kana ari kumhanyiswa, asi ziva kuti newewo uchamhanya
Hwindi, wakarembera padoor, uchituka vabereki vasina yakachinjika,
Jesu obva aburuka, achiuuya nechenji chaiyo, kuti newewo uchibhadhara.
Hwindi, nyika kupera uchitiza roadblock, ziva kuti roadblock yaJesu haitizike
Jesu achiburuka mumakore, hwamanda ichirira, radio yemukombi ichadzima, nekombi yacho ichanyarara, nemasoja achabva paattention, achadonhedza pfuti
Hwindi kana Jesu auya, uchakwana pasi pekombi yekuMfombi
Hwindi, handisi kukuwachisa, asi ayina hunhu hwako utsvage Jesu

Nyika yongoerekana yapera muri kumakuva kunoviga mufi
Iye mufi obva arova bhokisi ari mukati kuti dhu-dhu-dhu
Achidaidzira kuti ndivhurireiwo ndibude mucoffin muri kupisa
Nevakafa vese votanga kumuka mumakuva kuti vanotongwa waidii?
Nyika yoguma uri pabere, usina kupfeka uchienda kunoroya
Waikumbira kunotora hembe dzako here? Kunovharira bere rako?

Dai nyika yaingoyerekana yaguma izvozvi, nhasi, ipo pano
Iwe uri pakati pekugadzwa kuti uve mambo, MP kana shefu
Nyika kupera uri pakati pekupiwa simba, pekupuromotwa
Nyika yongoyerekana yaguma, zuva rodzima, shiri dzonyarara
Waikumbira here kuti umbotonga, umbodyawo, umbotyiwawo?
Uchiti, “But but Jesu, nyika yapera wrong time, ndisati ndamboluma…”
Dai nyika yaingoyerekana yapera, Jesu oburuka kubva mumakore
Would you tune in to CNN for the latest as it happens?


Ignatius T. Mabasa, 2010