Middle of the night,
Mosi-oa-tunya road,
not a street lamp in sight.
My four-year-old self
is jolted awake in the back seat
of my mother’s Fiat 127.
I watch ten of them—
a mama, and her baby, just like me—
stomp by,
trunks swinging, ears spread wide.
They cross from the Zambezi,
into the bush.
One of my earliest memories.
I hadn’t yet understood—the creamy-
white bangles, necklaces, and earrings
we adorned, carved tusks
propped up on living-room shelves.
We wore them, we displayed them.
We carried them home.
All for the ivory.
I didn’t know then,
they were almost a memory.
Scientists warned us.
Rangers protected them.
Poachers were stopped.
Almost a memory.
At sixteen, I dance an elephant,
right arm a trunk, left arm an ear.
Turned-out feet stomp across the stage.
For a few seconds I am Ganesh,
elephant headed God—
kind, welcoming, forgiving.
For a few seconds I am back,
crossing from the Zambezi,
into the bush.
Natasha Devalia
Natasha Devalia is a Zambian woman of South Asian descent, currently living in Bangkok. The themes of her art, whether expressed through movement, poetry, painting or as hybrid forms, include identity, belonging, mental health, and motherhood. Natasha’s art has been published by Ubwali Literary Magazine and the Journal of African Youth Literature.
She is the author and artist of three poetry and art books: Tears and Grape Seeds (2025), one touch of the rope (2024), and Unseen Veins (2023). Unseen Veins was the runner-up for the Aryamati Prize for Poetry. Her writing has been published by Ubwali Literary Magazine and Kitaab Literary Magazine. She is a Pushcart Prize nominee. Her websites are www.natashadevalia.com and www.natashadevalia.blog. She can be found on Instagram and X: @natashadevalia.
