As we prepare for the expansion of the Shona section, we present five poems by Peter Muzira. These poems are excerpted from his upcoming collection, Maungira Mudenhere. Muzira is a craftsman whose works preserves and energizes the Shona language. The poetry taps into the wisdom and culture of the Karanga people in the Chivi area, in so doing capturing some of the best Shona forms of expression.
Peter Muzira was born in 1966 in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. He grew up in Chivhu. After finishing secondary education at Sadza Secondary School, he obtained a Master of Education degree from Havana University in Cuba in 1993. He then taught at various secondary schools in Zimbabwe, before moving to Canada in 2001 where he obtained a Master of Science degree in 2008 from Guelph University. Peter, now resides in Canada and is currently teaching Mathematics. Peter never imagined himself writing poetry, let alone in Shona. His inspiration is Memory Chirere who shared his work with him when they were teaching together at Chipindura High School in the 1990s. Maungira Mudenhere is his first book. He is currently working on another poetry book.
