Yesterday the first flush of crimson appeared on the lucky bean trees
a promise of flowering yet to be

yesterday was a rough day

we have been without cash for a week so I went foraging . . .

As I wait at a traffic light
I see a man and woman make their way slowly across the road in front of me
on the mans back he carries a load
a human reduced to nothing but bones
the shaft of a shin bone hangs down at his side
a human, ageless, of unknown gender
reduced to this

I am consumed by pain, and the need to do something
try to get off the road to offer them a lift
am pushed forwards by impatient traffic
tears running
‘I’m, sorry, I’m sorry’ as I drive on

I go to the ATM (no cash available) to try and establish what money there is in our account
in my disarray, I manage to put in the wrong pin code and my card is taken
(at least something still works!)
I rush into the bank to try and regain my card
it is crammed with about 200 customers queuing to cash the maximum cheque they can
(5 billion – today this translates to US$ 5)

I queue along side 2 men in army uniform as an SMS comes through on my cell
‘the police and army are marching through the crowded streets of Mbare Musika
firing guns into the air.’
and find myself staring at their boots
looking for splatters of blood

Why do none of us say anything?
we are so compelled to behave properly

I am in the wrong queue, but am told that I will have to reapply for a card – it could take 2 weeks (in which time my money will be worth nothing)
into another queue (only 30 minutes) – and I persuade the wonderful, patient woman to try and get my card
20 minutes later it appears –with a big smile

Back to the ATM – I have 28 billion
there is an urgency to spend it before tomorrow
with 28 individual swipes on the cash machine I can buy US$ 28 worth of floor polish and some potatoes
BUT – the cash machines aren’t working today – and no one takes cheques
I go home empty handed

Mel has been out trying to sell onions and convert it to soap, oil, sugar and salt to pay workers
but there is no cash for the onions – only a cheque – a wait of 8 days (at which time it has halved and halved again)
Yesterday he worked out that our 1$ coins that used to be worth 1 US$ would now build a 3 metre high wall around the equator to make an equivalent amount.

The air above the vleis and hillsides are filled with prayers
I wonder if they are praying for deliverance
or for the strength and courage to endure?

We hear of someone who is being pursued by the police
the fear of death hangs over him
a sudden urgency to find a safe place, food to survive

News comes of Morgan being arrested for speaking to his electorate at Lupane

These are the early mornings when the shadows lean long on the earth
and at a slow shifting of the sun an unseen spider web is lit with rainbows
invisible magic hidden in the shadows
waiting for a shift in the light

This entry was posted on June 6th, 2008 at 11:08 am by Bev Reeler and is filed under Elections 2008, Inspiration, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.