fide263

[fide263]

On Valentines Day

So today is the day of love. Or the day supposedly dedicated to love. Flowers are handed to lovers. Chocolates are over consumed. And candle lit dinners are had. Which, in theory, isn’t a problem at all. I love my girlfriend and expressed my adoration for her through a gift as well. But, I do find the performative nature of the day concerning. I know that the social media era we find ourselves…

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A Book For A Dollar

It’s a small shop. Placed smack dab in the middle of two major chain stores. Despite it’s sad and down right dreary aesthetic, the little the store in the middle of the shopping centre always appealed to me. As a child, it was more so because of the cheaper candy and dvd rental establishment. But the dvd rental is gone. And this place that once sold itself as a cheaper alternative now casts…

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Tech Neck

My neck hurts. ‘Tech neck’ I think it’s called. Horrible name, that. Who thought that was a good idea? What’s a good idea anyway? It’s all relative. I’ve been writing a novella for a year now and I’m not sure the story I’m writing is a good idea anymore. My mind goes to that place, unprompted, often – second guessing. I spent 3 hours in a magistrate court today listening to a tedious, draining…

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Something in the Way

It’s Monday the 11th. The clouds have decided to hide the sun again. I’m freezing and I still hate Mondays. Nirvana’s ‘Something in the Way’ sounds lowly in my ear. My desk is a dump site for unifinished work. I’m drinking black sugarless tea in an attempt to warm myself up. I don’t think it’s working. In my left hand is my phone – another article about gold coins reflects on my prescription…

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Alone

And they like to wonder where I’ve beenProtecting my soul in the valley of silence -Kendrick Lamar The world is a loud place. Everything, everywhere, all at once. I find myself lost in the constant flow of information and emotions, avoiding depression in a place that appears to encourage it – expectations of who I should be contradict who I actually am constantly. The older I get the more I…

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Charles Bukowski's Factotum - A Life Without Purpose

“And I wanted to be a writer. Almost everybody was a writer. Not everybody thought they could be a dentist or an automobile mechanic but everybody knew they could be a writer. Of those fifty guys in the room, probably fifteen of them thought they were writers. Almost everybody used words and could write them down, i.e., almost everybody could be a writer. But most men, fortunately, aren’t…

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The Angry man on the side of the road

The sun’s glare obscures my vision as I drive down a familiar road. I stop at a traffic light that hasn’t worked in months. I force my way into a left turn, shadow boxing the heavy traffic, with the learned technique of a bad driver – skillls needed to drive in this city. My eyes wander to the fuel guage, which indicates I have a quarter left. I contemplate whether that will be enough for the…

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25/5/2022

It’s Africa Day today. A day we should reminisce and appreciate how far we have come. A day of toasts to Walter Rodney quotes and dances to Fela Kuti’s compositions. But that’s not the case. Atleast not for me. I am seated in the parking lot of a dying industry. One of many. Where the buildings that once produced goods for local consumption have devolved into crumbling walls that store imports.…

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A Break from The Monotony of Work

15:52 I am seated at my desk. The time is 15:52. My to do list is a mountain of jargon heavy readings and unwritten words. I can barely keep my eyes open. Enervation carried over from the weekend. The grind is an overrated necessity. A cycle of fatigue. But, round and round I go. I hate Mondays. 17:00 It’s 17:00 now. The sun is setting. I’m done with work. But she isn’t. So I have to wait. I’m…

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Brake Lights & Insecurities

It’s a grey Tuesday night in Harare. Winter is here. Kendrick Lamar poetically articulates his pain in the background. I’m stuck in traffic. The old lady in the blue Toyota yaris next to my car keeps staring at me. Frantically, I type this into my phone. It’s not going well. I have big hands so touch screens are a bit of a nightmare. The screen is cracked. I need a new phone. I can’t afford one,…

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Random Recollections

So, I used to read a lot. A book a week, on average. I can’t quite pin down why. I’ll probably chalk it down to being an unemployed graduate – and so inherently hungry for words. Or maybe I was just bored. That’s not the case anymore. I have a job now and I haven’t even finished a book all year. But, I remember finding and reading a book called, “Red Wheelbarrow” by Sam Esmail and Courtney…

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Seven.Zero

Today was/is my dad’s birthday. A great day. I’m not a birthday person. Before today, I felt the whole ritual to be somewhat self agrandising and blatantly narcissistic. I thought he did too. But something interesting happened today. We threw him a little party – something I was reluctant about – and everything went well. A very enjoyable event. To my surprise, he actually enjoyed it. In a…

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Is there value in insisting that art stay true to its history?

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lOYLE cARNER'S HUGO

“Is the world moving fast for you as well? I can’t tell if it be only me. Is it only me?” – Loyle Carner (Speed of Plight) hugo is a 2022 Hip Hop album by English rapper Loyle Carner. It’s his third album – but it sounds like his 10th. The lyrics on the project communicate the wisdom and pain of an old man. The album weaves through concepts like male vulnerability, fatherhood, racism, confused…

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I Think I almost Died Today

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A Blog About Nothing

Hi. I’ve decided to bring my blog back. Genuinely this time. I paid for plan and everything. I’ll be posting 5 times a week. Ambitious, but I think I can do it. Like always, my blog will focus on life and everything in it. But I’ll be structuring the 5 posts specifically: Monday – Review (this will be a review of any form of Art such, but not limited to, a book or movie); Tuesday – Fiction (a…

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The Prison of Perfection

Nothing has me grabbed recently. At least, nothing has inspired me to write. So, I figured I’d pen this one without a theme or subject – lean into the unknown and embrace whatever I find in between begin and end. I wrote an exam on Tuesday – one I studied for, genuinely. Late nights and the anxiety that comes with it was my life. But after I submitted my paper I found myself in a stark place of…