Poem

Chenjerai Hove

Side by side

A War-torn Wife

This war!
I am tired
of a husband who never sleeps
guarding the home or on call-up,
never sleeping!

Maybe inside him he says
‘I am tired of a wife
who never dies
so I could stop guarding’.

Chenjerai Hove

(Zimbabwe, 1956 - 2015)

Born near Zvishavane in 1956, poet, novelist and social commentator Chenjerai Hove lived in exile in Europe toward the end of his life. His critical social and political commentary in the weekly newspaper The Standard (2000-2002) gave rise to threats that he was forced to take seriously. For a creative writer who cared deeply about his country’s welfare, leaving was a moment of profound loss. A...

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Poems of Chenjerai Hove

A War-torn Wife

This war!
I am tired
of a husband who never sleeps
guarding the home or on call-up,
never sleeping!

Maybe inside him he says
‘I am tired of a wife
who never dies
so I could stop guarding’.

From: Up In Arms