Poetry lovers, brace yourselves for a hectic mind-waltz! Introducing Peggie “Umind?!” Shangwa. I’d use the words phenomenally exceptional to describe her, but go on; read on, and pick your own verbs, nouns and adjectives! Leave, cleave and weave:
I was him and he was me
Each soul’s simple existence being the
sole purpose of breathing in each others wants
And breathing out each others needs
He was me and I was him
I never knew where he ended and I begun
Bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh
so intertwined and inseparable
We were twisted
Discovery bounced off each of us
He started sentences and I finished them
Reached for the same thing my mind was on
our hands touching and flirting courting bliss
In every moment
Our thoughts so synchronised an exchanged glance
or transfixed gaze would communicate
So well across a room of hundreds
Seeing me meant seeing him and so the story went that
in absentia one represented both
And questions were not asked …there was no need
I was him and he was me
Currents of energy resonated and resounded off each of us
with eyes closed
I could tell he had walked into a room
so distinct was he that instinct picked him up
Like breathing, when troubled or extremely excited
he was my default
He was me and I was him
His mind my haven, my soul his retreat
His lap my comfort, my heart his home
We were both guilty of committing the same crime
Head over heels or heels over head in love
It was magic and tragic how no one else seemed to matter for company just us two
Our past time was exploring this God that had created such love
he had to be amazing cause it was heaven
so a real heaven had to exist somewhere
The existence of such a father was believable because
a love like this had to be held up
By more than two hearts entwined thus shifting the trajectory of our lives
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and cleave to his wife and the two shall
Become one…….flesh
I was him and he was me
Not glued together by lust but genuine affection and attention
Meaning his heart kept perfect pace with mine
In our silence we spoke the same language
Sekabantwana the father of my children
All He Man
Was strong sometimes just for my sake
Would hold it down so I wouldn’t break
He was me and I was him
His personality sweet, words didn’t count
To fill the gaps cause we were comfortable
Voids didn’t exist or chasms
instead we had periods of bonding holding hands
Counting the stars
Crowds were fascinating cause
they kept us entertained with questions on how we
Could afford such a luxury, some wondered about fairytales and things being a
Thing of the past, so ignorant were they that when it’s right you don’t try too hard
But you work determinedly hard through each kink and crink
We were classic
He made it easy to be woman
And he grew all man because he had the right woman
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord
Unkulunkulu had his ways of working miracles
All we knew was that somehow we were privileged
Yes some call it blessed, we were all that and more
Words when he said them were at the right time
Explaining why I married him
I do meant submitting, honouring, respecting and cherishing
This applied to us both no double standards
Being faithful to each other was not a question
Trust was second nature and doubt didn’t figure in our cards
Which wasn’t only emblematic but iconic
To some this perfect picture meant meeting the man of your dreams
Followed by his beautiful wife ironic
We never tried figuring this out because we had nothing to prove
Enhlizweni zethu siyakwazi we were meant to be
GOD had brought us together
He was me and I was him
Unbelievable yet amazingly clarifying that you could have it all
Then I woke up……..
© Peggie Shangwa 2014
Umind?!
