Victoria Falls Again

I came I saw and was stoutly conquered                               

By a wounded river in its middle                                          

That brutally awoke from the dead                                       

Hearts beaten into rock and tough riddle                              

I came there when the rain killed cameras

And sentenced cheap mobile phones to silence

With human voices harassed and embarrassed

By the vexed spirit of Victoria Falls

Even the rainbow was cowered and bent

In apologies to Ma Zambezi

Who fumed dews of blessings on its bent back

In downloads and uploads without a fee

I was puzzled by sudden presences

Of nations jumping out of anxious beds

To watch the rainbow drink water like fish

From a larva-spitting middle river

Such that early that morning I joined them

As candidate and witness to miracles

Where the river shouted in agreement

To heaven and earth breaking sheer shackles

Oh Zambezi your own action secrets                                     

Remain unknown even to cast kola nuts

Sharing this drama with nations watching

Rainbows fall on living stone like bread

Moulds Jesus wouldn’t touch to shake late converts

into cowards like Livingstone hiding in the bushes                           

behind the vexed Victoria spitting up larva rain

from the wounded belly of a river not far 

From furtive Livingstone who’d tripped

On a rainbow under his feet

To open warm embraces for new pals

That come but hardly ever stay to hide