By Kahalu Ngombo
As often as not, physical attraction between a man and a woman becomes wide awake. When it does, one experiences great passionate desire as the mind becomes preoccupied with the man or woman so desired.
This desire was awake in Samson and Delilah, in Romeo and Juliet and Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the wind. Needless to say everyone is capable of experiencing passionate desire. That is from kids to the elderly.
Most people experience lust and conditional love. For the most part, these are one-time relationships with no strings attached. However, some, commonly called affairs are of longer duration. All the same, both are fraught with casual sex, multiple partners and heartbreaks.
In a time when AIDS has loomed large, as relationships falter and as peers tell us of their interesting love affairs, it is wise to keep our passionate desires in check. But it requires a great feat of self control. For many, even some Christians, fail to overcome temptations that come into play.
To bottle up our desires, we need to avoid possible sights and sounds and situations that well up our sexual appetite. A case in point is Joseph’s flight from Potiphar’s wife. Another is that of Job. Job decided to make a covenant with his eyes so that he did not get excited when they fell on a young woman. In Job 31:1, Job says, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a young woman?”
In our case, we should not only make covenants with our eyes but also our ears, our mouths and every part of our bodies. More so our spirits and souls. The point is responsible and innocent love can only play itself out in a marital setting. Reasons being sexual relationships involve both physical and spiritual elements that can be good or bad on the part of the individual.
For this reason, in Song of Solomon 2:7, it is written: “I charge you O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.”
As with when it becomes wide awake, many books abound. A Zambian, Henry Mpundu Salimu, has just published a book on the subject. In his debut poetry book, Deep Sleep, which is expected in Zambian bookstores this October, Salimu presents a first person narration of awakened innocent love.
Written in an intimate tone, he uses lovely words to detail thoughts and feelings that awaken when one falls in love. His brand of poetry is designed to warm the hearts of all who think in terms of romantic love, whether Christian or not. And, again, whether a lover of poetry or not.
Deep Sleep has nine poems, one of which carries the same title as the book. They are essentially conversations between a man and woman though only one of them addresses the other in each poem. In the poem ‘Deep Sleep’, the male character is amazed at the captivating nature that God has put in his lover. He says, “Whenever I am with you, I always lose my equilibrium. I can’t solve this maze. Its either I act crazy, foolish or do something beyond my capability.”
The possible consumer complaint against the book is the number of pages. It has 20 pages from cover to cover, with the poems occupying half the book. Priced at 35,000 Kwacha (7.37 US dollars), it is a matter of thinking in terms of opportunity costs and benefits. Otherwise the book is of fair overall quality and will surely awaken passionate desires.
The review sounds interesting but again the price …….to low
20 pages? Please be serious. What kind of book is this. Was he lazy or ran out of ideas.
Anyway, wish him well and success. Better than nothing I suppose.
How is the market for books in Zambia. Do many people buy and read books?
20 pages or 200?
20 pages awe,i cant bother buying a book equivalent to jelita and mulenga volume
There used to be a zambian poet called cassius thornicroft that once printed these series of books of poetry, does anyone know how to get hold of them?
LT this is infinitely far from a book review, may be a badly written forward or something please consider changing the title of the article.
people dont be negative about fellow Zambians the review clearly states that the book has 200 pages if you cant read that then you are right you shouldnt bother buying it because you will fail to read anyway.
Yah nasaska kwena mwe bantu ama commnet ubu eh……
Most people experience lust and conditional love. For the most part, these are one-time relationships with no strings attached. However, some, commonly called affairs are of longer duration. All the same, both are fraught with casual sex, multiple partners and heartbreaks
For this reason, in Song of Solomon 2:7, it is written: “I charge you O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.”
Good concept, thought provocking, love and lust
I need to read it ,where can i get it?
#7 Dreamboi
“The possible consumer complaint against the book is the number of pages. It has 20 pages from cover to cover, with the poems occupying half the book.”
Sounds like 20 pages to me. Are you just dreaming, Dreamboi.
Hey Henry ,congrats man.how are you by the way?this is Small.
Y’all trying to say negative things about the man…please hold your fire.I bet the man will welcome some criticism but please watch your language and tone.Boi Henry were are you now?am so proud of you man….from MOYENDA …to SHENPA…..now to BOOKS….very soon it will be MOVIES…..GO GO GO Salim!…the true FIGHTER.
Don.t forget,Zambians span of attention is comparsble to a fly…someone writes a book and all you can say is jellita and mulenga,what sort of people are you,only wwhen western writers sell books will you read,shame…..Henry use your imagination to inspire others and also young writers to be,we have your back….GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope its quality and not quantity. 20 pages at K35,000!!!!!!!!
Henry congrats on the book and the boldness to be able to step into the reality of a dream. I speak not as a benchwarming or armchair critic but as one that has read this book! My wife and I read this book over the weekend. I think it is a rare perspective of an exchange of beautiful, expressive as well as powerful words between a man and a woman! It reminds one of the first day you “fell” in love and the feeling of being in love. The extensiveness of the depth of love one would desire to express and have the blessing of enjoying with one’s true love. The excitement of the awesomeness of being with them and treasuring their presence and impact on one’s life…., I could go on and on…