Of the many beauties Rhodesia could boast
I often think of the one I loved most
Kariba, Inyanga, the great Victoria Falls
Are places my mind so fondly recalls

But at night when memory roams far and free
My thoughts dwell on the Msasa tree.
Far across the highveld its leaves are seen
Pink, orange, brown and then bright green.

After spring has gone they stand proud and high
Shading the earth from the hot summer sky.
I pray they survive man's unchecked search for fuel
Under Zimbabwe's socialist rule
For the great beauty I'll never cease to admire
Could forever end in a comrade's fire.

From the collection - RHODESIAN REVERIE
Memories by Robert Heinrich Percival Cornell
Contributed by his grandson Rob Staniland
Email : Rob