TO MY JESUS by Matilda Phiri On my birthday 🎂🎉 The day I was born My special day I would like to show my gratitude to Jesus in heaven my best friend, my father and my everything. Thank you for the unconditional love. My life is nothing without you You are my hero and my truth. Thank you again for adding another year to me. Thank you for the precious gift called life. Thank you for allowing me to be born, to see the beautiful earth you created. It is beautiful and serene I love it. Thanks for the beautiful lakes and rivers. I must confess I love them Oh. Oh thank you for the different fruits that you created. The apple and peach fruits, my favourites. In fact I love all the fruits you created. I enjoy eating them. The beautiful mountains with Natural green trees oh they are a plus. And then you saw it was great thing to create me in your own image to be your best friend here on earth, oh God   how should I repay you for all these good things? Thank y

 SHORT STORY BY MATILDA PHIRI MALAWI’S CHITENJE I have always doubted the power of Malawi’s Chitenje.   I never believed that in order, to impress a real Malawian lady you need to buy her a Chitenje. I and most boys of nowadays have stopped respecting our culture. We no longer care or fear breaking cultural rules and its consequences. It has been two years for me since I attended a funeral in my area. I have heard that in the past, this would not have happened because I would be tied with a string to a big tree waiting to be untied after the burial has happened. This was news to me. I laughed and shouted at the same time; “What the hell!? I would definitely sue the chief if he does that to me!’’ That was my straight word. “After all, we are in democracy. I have a right to attend any funeral or not.” But I was very wrong. I’m a University graduate of Political Science and divorced. I am working at a certain organisation as a democracy expert. I live in Blantyre City with my young