Something Is Wrong Poem by Deluke Muwanigwa

Something is wrong.

How things have changed
The sun used to give specific instructions
The wind dutifully obeying
shooing moisture laden hot gusts of wind to the stratosphere

Dry air falling to the ground in a dance so familiar
Born of this cyclic waltz dark pregnant cumulonimbus clouds
shedding tears punctuated by flashes of intense lightning
and peals of deep sadistic laughter

We were never fazed
We would dig holes and bury a seed
knowing by 15 October our wet dream would come
The sky would scream in agony
birthing life
waters breaking to our sheer delight.

October last
The sun dutifully gave specific instructions
So we thought
Temperatures off the scale
Nothing happened
November came and went
So did December
Beginning January the clouds wept
The farmer wept too

The seed he planted died in the womb of the earth
No life giving water
He replanted
The skies wouldn't give
Then in the fortuitous month of January
the sky obeyed the sun and rained
daily for 31days
And on the last day of January the heavens switched off the taps
Crops cried for more rain but it was
turned off
Gone

The sun used to give specific instructions
The wind dutifully obeying
shooing moisture laden hot gusts of wind to the stratosphere
Not anymore
It's all gone
Something is wrong.

C.23022022