Independence and Breaking Literary Laws

Tomorrow, 6th July is Malawi’s Independence Day. On July 6, 1964, we shook off the fetters of British colonialism to become Malawi. We became a sovereign state, we were no longer a colony of Britain. As we celebrate this day this year, I ask myself: Has Independence or the attaiment of Republic status been any meaningful? I still long to be free. I long fellow Malawians to respect the law and uphold the human rights of man.

I long for economic, ay political independence, not only for me, but my beautiful country as a whole and all its citizens. As citizens, we are all equal. Equality is a prerequisite for the macrocosm in a free and independent Malawi and the diaspora.

For once, I thought, I can break some literary laws, since politicians have taught us power and authority matter more than laws:

Chronicles
(For Mpasu, Lipenga, Mapanje, et al)

Nobody’s friend sat
Waiting for a turn
Only to see the chattering wagtails
Return with the African thunderstorm

Galileo was a dissident, true
accidentalising every death
until the despot a cry heard from Chingwe’s Hole
kudzabwera Napolo....

Silence is pitch black
Blinding your nanzikambe eyes
as I rape your literary laws
and swear, solemnly: justice is unjust


Now you do not have to read my lips. You sure understand the heart of the matter. I am against some political jezebels who try to be above the law and want to claim our sympathy.

Happy Independence Day. It’s great to be free.

Notes:

Sam Mpasu wrote the book Nobody's Friend, which led to his incarceration in Dr Banda's rule

Ken Lipenga authored Waiting for a Turn, and as a columnist he wrote a piece entitled of Galileo as Dissident which led to his dismissal at a publishing house connected to Dr Banda's empire

The Chattering Wagtails of Mikuyu is a poem written by Jack Mapanje. Mapanje was imprisoned because some saw between his poetic lines, mischief against Dr Banda's rule

David Rubadiri wrote the poem An African Thunderstorm

Kudzabwera Napolo are words in Steve Chimombo's poem Napolo

Nanzikambe: Chameleon, that swollen-eyed mourning and grieving creature, which always changes its colours according to its environment

Comments

Unknown said…
kwachaaa, kwacha, freedom, freedom, ufulu, ufuluuuu, mtendereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
wanangwa wa malawi, wana, wana
Mkango nthawi imeneyo, welensky ndi anzake kuti balala. Koma a Malawi Democracy mpaka kufika pa record, kenaka ena nkuyamba kufuna kupengetsa nayo anthu. The voice of the people is the voice of God. Viva Malawians, Viva our hard won independence, Viva our cherished democracy and God Bless the Land of Smiling Faces: MALAWI.
MALAWI WOYEEEE
August 23, 2007 at 12:16 AM
Unknown said…
VIVA MALAWI. VIVA OUR HARD EARNED DEMOCRACY. LET GOD CONTINUE BLESSING MALAWI.
August 23, 2007 at 12:17 AM
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