Wander and Weave

Voices That Stir the Soil: Zimbabwean Poets & Spoken Word Artists Making Waves If you’ve ever sat in a dim-lit room and felt a poem crawl under your skin, rearrange your emotions, then walk out like it owns the place… congratulations, you’ve met a Zimbabwean poet. Zimbabwe’s poetry scene is not just alive, it is loud, courageous, and fearlessly creative. It carries the weight of history, the rhythm of the streets, and the fire of a generation determined to be heard. These artists are traveling continents, winning prestigious awards, shifting narratives, and reminding the world that Zimbabwean storytelling is not only surviving, it is thriving. Today on Wander and Weave, we’re celebrating four powerful voices shaping the future of Zimbabwean poetry and spoken word. 1. Batsirai Chigama — The Trailblazer With a Thousand Candles Batsirai Chigama is one of those poets whose words feel like they found you before you found the book. An award-winning spoken word poet, short story writer, a...

  “The Weight Our Mothers Carried” They grew up in a world that taught them to swallow their words. “Sunga muromo.” Hold your tongue. Keep quiet. Good women do not speak. Good women do not question. Good women endure. Our African mothers walked through fire; barefoot, soft-spoken, but carrying mountains on their backs. A generation taught to suck it in, to bury bruises beneath church hats and hide heartbreak in the folds of their wrappers. They lived in homes where silence was survival, where a woman raising her voice was “too forward,” where crying out was rebellion, and rebellion was shame. They were told to stay. Stay because marriage is an altar you don’t walk away from. Stay because your children need both parents. Stay because “Murume ndiye musoro wemusha.” The man is the head of the home. Even when that head brought thunder. Our mothers carried the weight of expectations stitched into their skin like ancestral embroidery. They endured: Gender-based violence whispered away as...

  12 Months of Writing Chaos (You’re Welcome) On November third, Wander and Weave quietly turned one year old. One full trip around the sun since I finally whispered to myself, “You know what? Just release the drafts.” And I did. Shaking, doubting, praying, but I did it anyway. First and foremost, glory to the Almighty for the gift of reading, learning, and writing. For the strength He planted in me to fight fear, dismantle perfectionism, and step into my truth without apology. And to every single reader who has taken a moment, between trains, between chores, between heartbreaks and healing, to sit with my words: thank you. You have no idea what that means to me. Over this past year, something strange has happened. As I deepen my writing practice, I’ve started reading differently too. I don’t just read for story anymore. I read for craft. Structure. Rhythm. For the quiet things a book doesn’t say but somehow still shouts. And the more I read, the more I notice the growing gap betwe...

When the Train Stopped My Thoughts: A Story About Suicide, Culture, and the Silent Battles We Don’t See. A couple of days ago, something inside me shifted. I had just reached my last station, ready to start another ordinary workday in Tokyo. I stepped off the train, blending into the quiet morning rush, when suddenly a scream tore through the air. A loud, piercing cry that froze every step around me. People rushed forward instinctively. Curious. Shocked. Confused. And then I saw it,a well-suited man had just jumped in front of an oncoming train. For a moment, time stood still. I couldn’t process it. A man who had woken up, put on his suit, polished his shoes, prepared for work like everyone else… and somewhere between his home and that platform, he decided, “I’m done.” The most chilling part is that this wasn’t my first time experiencing this in Japan. The first time, I was sitting quietly at a station waiting for my train when another man leapt in front of an oncoming train. I remembe...

Inside the World of Grayville:  Where Vintage Breathes, Modern Speaks, and Fashion Feels Like Home  Every creative empire begins with a spark, sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, and sometimes it’s simply a young guy walking down the streets of Zimbabwe, minding his own business… until someone stops him and says, “Bro, sell me that jacket.” That younger version of the man behind Grayville Thrift didn’t know it then, but those little street compliments were breadcrumbs leading him toward a much bigger destiny. Passion? He had it. Vision? Overflowing. Resources? Ehh… not so much. But what he did have was an eye for vintage, a love for preloved fashion, and a desire to share his creative language with the world, even when the world wasn’t handing him a megaphone. And so, Grayville was born. Not from a business plan. Not from a workshop. But from raw passion and the simple idea that fashion, real fashion, should make people feel seen. Ever met someone who thrifts like it’s a calling...

Versions of Me: And the Woman I Keep Becoming It’s midnight in Japan , yes, pakati pehusiku (in the middle of the night) and here I am, wide awake with my cup of chamomile tea, staring at the ceiling like I’m waiting for an answer from the universe. I was supposed to be asleep an hour ago, but somehow, my mind decided it was the perfect time to do a full PowerPoint presentation of my past lives, all the versions of me I’ve quietly outgrown. Earlier today, I stumbled upon some old photos. You know the kind, over-filtered selfies, forced smiles, questionable outfit choices (why did I ever think those skinny jeans were my personality?). But what caught my attention wasn’t the clothes or the poses; it was the thoughts I used to carry. The dreams I thought would save me. The things I used to cry about that now feel so distant they could be from another lifetime. It’s strange, isn’t it? You live inside yourself every single day and still somehow don’t notice that you’re evolving. You only re...

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe: The Gem Africa’s Been Hiding in Plain Sight Mudhara listen,  ndati ka listen! Zimbabwe has just been ranked the number one country to visit by travel experts, and I don’t know about you, but I’m walking around with my shoulders high, chest out, and passport ready to be stamped “Home Sweet Home.” Because truly, Shamwari, Zimbabwe isn’t just beautiful,  she’s breathtaking, dramatic, wild, and warm all at once. Today, I’m putting on my tour guide hat (and maybe some sunscreen because, you know, the sun doesn’t play around in Zim 🌞), and taking you on a little adventure across my homeland. So, buckle up, grab a Mazoe, and let’s explore six must-visit spots in Zimbabwe, the places that make travelers say “ndadzoka nenyaya” (I came back with stories!). 1. Victoria Falls – “The Smoke That Thunders” (Mosi-oa-Tunya) 🌊 You haven’t really been to Zimbabwe until you’ve stood near the mighty Victoria Falls and felt that mist on your face. The roar alone? Eish, it humbles y...