Poem

Julius Chingono

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ABUSIVE NAMES

ABUSIVE NAMES

ABUSIVE NAMES

On giving birth
a woman
named her first-born
a daughter
‘Mistake’
The second-born
a son
‘Kickmore’
the last-born
a son
‘Forget’
Thereafter
she remained single.
For the remainder
of her bearing life
she did not dare
beget another abusive name.

© 2000, Julius Chingono
Publisher: First published on PIW in a special Zimbabwean edition, 10th June 2008,

Julius Chingono

Julius Chingono

(Zimbabwe, 1946 - 2011)

Julius Chingono's poetry has been published in several anthologies of Shona poetry such as Nhetembo, Mabvumira eNhetembo and Gwenyambira between 1968 and 1980. His only novel, Chipo Changu, was published in 1978 and an award-winning play, Ruvimbo, was published in 1980. His first collection of short stories in English, Not Another Day, was published in 2006, and his stories were included in the...

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ABUSIVE NAMES

On giving birth
a woman
named her first-born
a daughter
‘Mistake’
The second-born
a son
‘Kickmore’
the last-born
a son
‘Forget’
Thereafter
she remained single.
For the remainder
of her bearing life
she did not dare
beget another abusive name.

ABUSIVE NAMES

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