Psalm 137 for Zimbabwean asylum seekers!

By the rivers of Thames, near Croydon
There we sat down, ya, we wept,
When we remembered Zimbabwe

We hung our GCSE certificates and hope
Upon the willows in the midst of it,
for there those who wanted to give us asylum asked us to tell our story
Saying , “tell us what Mugabe did to you”

How shall we tell our story
When we are in anguish in a foreign land
without jobs and permission to work

If I forget you Harare
Let my right hand forget its skill.
Let me die destitute in a foreign land!

Psalm on return to Zimbabwe psalm 126

When the Prime minister announced that the exiles would return
There in Southwark Cathedral
We were like those who dream
Then our mouth was filled with laughter
And our tongue with singing
Then they said among the nations
The lord has done great things for them
The lord has done great things for us
and we are glad
Bring us back
as the streams of the south……

Arthur Gwagwa is a Solicitor, writer and professional speaker.He worked in various capacities, firstly as a human rights lawyer in Zimbabwe and the UK, then moved on into the field of human capital development through training and mentorship. Now works as a Chaplain and Lead Mentor in the UK criminal justice system.