Penny walker had a house
A tranquil place filled
With love and care
But now she made it ours too
Penny gave us her house
Housing all.
Taking away our homeless shame
And clothing us with a name home
Our house, the one that Penny gave us
Is a peace garden, where all plants grow
Just like us
The human exotic plants
Call this place home
There is a Zimbabwean cabbage
Rhubarb that endures all weather all year round
It never changes,
Green peace and love all year round
Never dying like Penny’s love.
Penny you are gone
But in your place stands a garden of peace
With creeping strawberries ready
To be picked and eaten.
Creeping beans ready to harvest.
Every fruit and plant so special
Like the touch of your warm hands.
These standing little plants
Giving birth to sweet fruits
Pregnant with aroma
That even babies can pick
And caress as they often do
Are a symbol to how accessible you were.
Penny your love grows just like the
Cherry tomatoes and big tomatoes
Growing side by side with sunflower
Yellow flowers bringing light
In a colourful spectacle like the love you still exude
Penny you left us a foodbank house.
With three apple trees standing majestically
Two at the back and another in front
Which bear green and red apples
In a mix of sweet yet sour
That fall freely on ground.
Just like your tears at the sight of the homeless
Pennyyou left us a House that we now share
With many visitors including the birds
Birds still making their presence felt
In loud songs and the mess on our table
As if they are saying: “like Penny, we were here.”
You left us a sanctuary.
You gave us a calming house.
Calming distressed children
A garden of yellow roses, White flowers
that shine as bright at night as the full moon
Where I sit and at times play football or dance
To my tribal healing songs.
And I will remember you always when I sit
In this my favourite hotspot
Free from shade of heavenly bound trees
Where I walk barefoot
Connecting my body with nature
Grounding, feeling the warmth from under my feet.
In peace garden.
A place where we can rest
From the sun's penetrating rays
A place where we can light open fires
Feeling the warmth penetrating from the top of my head to my longest foot
I burn my struggles and calm my mind
At this moment I think of you Penny,
Gone and yet here,
Enveloping me in the four walls of my room
Your spirit caressing every window
Calming me to sleep
In a place that we call our house
And the place I call simply home
Rest In Power
Penny Walker.
by Loraine Mponela
CARAG members reactions:
“Heartfelt, thank you”
“A befitting tribute to our guardian angel, I will forever be grateful to have experienced her compassion, rest in power Penny 🙏🏽”
“I’ve listened to this poem live. It describes everything about her. Rest in peace Penny Walker🙏”
“Rest In Peace Penny”