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Beaven Tapureta Bookshelf
Admire Gomo who passed on last week at Kutama Hospital, Zvimba, after a short illness will always be remembered for his Shona poetry and championing a writing and reading culture among young people.
At the time of his death, Gomo (38) was teaching at Tariro Primary School in Hopley where together with fellow poet and teacher Edwin Msipa he initiated reading activities some of which saw young students making regular weekly errands to the Harare City Library (HCL) and also taking part in library events.
The two poets nurtured future writing talent from the disadvantaged community of Hopley. On hearing about the sad news of Gomo’s death, writing friends took turns to send their condolence messages and dedicate some short poetry to him on social media. The late Gomo belongs to the young generation of writers which “graduated” in the late 90s from the now inoperative Budding Writers Association of Zimbabwe. Touching memories of his other gifts like his acting gusto and his emceeing at ZIBF events such as the Live Literature Centre were shared.
Indeed, we have lost a humble man. And yet our mourning is consoled by the idea that writers do not die, for they leave behind written works that “outlive” time!
Msipa, who closely worked with Gomo and attended funeral in Zvimba, said the late poet showed great enthusiasm in literature and working with school children with fatherly love which he even reflected in some of his published poems.
Speaking to Bookshelf, the HCL assistant librarian Takwana Masunda said Gomo will be sadly missed as he supported the value of reading. “Mr Gomo will be sadly missed by the HCL community as he was part of a team of dedicated literary luminaries who frequently graced our events from Tariro School,” Masunda said.
Gomo read his poems featured in the latest Shona anthology “Mafuro Manyoro” (2017) at the Harare City Library in May this year. He had accompanied school children from Tariro who were participating in the library’s belated World Book and Copyright Day commemorations.
The anthology carries his second output after the 2014 anthology “Zviri Mugapu” in which he contributed five beautiful poems as a debutant. In his poems in “Zviri Mugapu” Gomo mirrored diverse issues including the fractured family with exceptional focus on children and women. Msipa’s description of the late poet as someone who loved peace in the home is spot-on as portrayed in the poems “Mauya Mauya Mauyireiko?” and “Mhosva Ndeyani”. In these poems, Gomo deeply muses on the children and wife caught in an unhappy situation because of an abusive father and husband respectively.
As a remembrance of Gomo the poet, below is his poem “Mauya Mauya Mauyireiko?” from the anthology ‘Zviri Mugapu’.
Mauya mauyireiko?
Musipo tanga tichifara zvekurasa muswe,
Kungoti kwenyu pfacha,
Vana bara semakonzo aona kitsi,
Mumwe nemumwe vakananga mugota nemunhanga,
Kunzi kwazivai mudundundu modairira,
Hasha madii masiya kwamaswera,
Kwete kupedzera shungu pamuti usina mhaka bodo,
Tose tongoramba tichiti mauya mauya mauyireiko?
Munenge zvino magara pachenyu chigaro
Husina akamboona hukuru moratidza,
Repasi jeri topika rinodyiwa sadza nemanhanga,
Ndichiri kubika ndinenge ndoudzwa mabikiro,
Munyu wedzera,
Mafuta wedzera,
Chimbokanga haisati yatsvukira nyama,
Pasuru totambira nekutenda
Imi mudundundu munodairira
Mauya mauya mauyireiko?
Zuva nezuva kwindi vopotera kuna ani vana?
Muri baba rudzii vasinawo chido nevana?
Inga tiri mhuri Yenyu wani?
Inga nzou hairemerwi nenyanga dzayo wani?
Rudo nevana ratidzai,
Tisangoramba tichingotizve,
Mauya mauya mauyireiko?
Born in Zvimba in Gara village, the late Gomo did his primary and secondary education at schools in Gokwe including Mashonganyika, Mabvure, Madzorera and Mbovhana. He was also one of the committed members of the Zimbabwe Academic and Non-fiction Authors (Harare Chapter).
He is survived by his wife and three sons.
Online Reporter
dyton mupawaenda