Hope and love in ‘Survivors Café’

Christopher Farai Charamba The Reader
A survivor is an individual who, in spite of trying circumstances, pushes through and continues to exist. The prevailing economic conditions in Zimbabwe over the past decade or so have created a survivor out of the Zimbabwean person.

This survivor is one who has managed to adapt to the situation that they find themselves in, and also understand that their circumstance is not all consuming. That even in the worst times one can experience the best of times.

Stanley Mushava’s maiden publication, titled “Survivors Café” aptly reflects the varied existences of the modern Zimbabwean. This book, a collection of 51 poems and seven essays, expresses the histories, hopes, fears and aspirations of a young Zimbabwean.

Mushava draws on his experiences, personal philosophies and beliefs to take an artistic view in the form of poetry, on subjects such as love, social justice, culture, suffering and art, that have puzzled mankind since time immemorial.

The varied style of poetry in the book reflects the different subject matter and expresses the diversity of situations but also of life.

“Survivors Café” can thus be considered social commentary in the form of art. In a number of the poems, Mushava can be seen to draw from his emotions and experiences to illustrate situations that are familiar to many people.

One of the subjects that comes up frequently in the poems is that of love. In the poem titled “Love and Conviction”, Mushava explains how love can be foreign, but once felt can be consuming and enslaving.

“Love was a remote prospect,// I imported it and gave it my life”, the poem opens. The poet then explains how “it took power and consolidated”. He speaks of how parts of him contributed to become the fuel for this growing love.

“She for whom I emptied myself// Convicted me to life servitude”, writes Mushava. This is a reflection of an unhealthy type of love that both men and women can sometimes find themselves in.

The poet, however, draws on the belief that love conquers all and transforms the couple, taking them from a place of captivity to one where love is their “all-sufficient realm”.

In “Africa Spring” Mushava takes the pan-Africanist to task. It is a reminder that there is hope for the continent if Africans yield to the call of “mutual responsibilities”.

Among the 51 poems of different themes, Mushava’s faith and belief in God is evident in the words but also in the air of optimism reflected in the writing.

All poems are of varying lengths, but two of the longest poems, more prose poems, “In Memory of the Future” and “Redemption Medley” read like sermons. The former speaks on global despair. It questions whether the meaning of life is lost and speaks to all the gloom and doom of the world.

The poem takes an apocalyptic tone reminding the reader that “the door of mercy is closing” and the end times are nigh.

“Redemption Medley” is the opposite to the despair of “In Memory of the Future”. Here Mushava takes the Psalmist approach of praise and exaltation, reflecting on the abounding grace of his God.

One can describe “Survivors Café” as an inspiring body of work. Mushava is critical in some instances of the modern world but remains hopeful in humanity particularly when guided by a divine hand.

In the second part of the book, Mushava shares his writing on philosophies, subjects and people that he has read. The seven essays cover themes of religion, science and music. Mushava pays homage to veteran writer, the late Alexander Kanengoni, and in another piece explores Bob Dylan’s body of music as a literary work.

“Survivors Café” is a book that is impossible to digest in one sitting. It will certainly take multiple reads to understand some of the work, and gain appreciation for what the writer has produced. That said, Mushava can be commended for this brave debut which covers many facets of the human condition.