Friday, February 17, 2012

Game of Light in Shadows

                                                                                       image by Juan Sanchez

what is this blood, colonialist 
trying to bring me down
it is a part of me yet
it resists me
as part of 

my mother is waiting
for me to discover...
her, myself
for me to close down
the house of slaves
I built on every port
ancient and new
past and present
all the same

my children toiling
forbidden to read
forbidden to know
the glory of the word
the word from all around
360 degrees
forbidden to breathe

instead...
a day
of
mono
syllabic
sounds
a day 
to bring
them
down
unfamiliar sounds
bring them down
cut
their feet
no where to grow
stumped

they dream
of being
precious
again
being who they are

sitiing in a room
with no paper
to write on
no pencils
to create

to create
beauty words
words to document
beauty lives
beauty sounds
goosebumps of joy

feet full of sweet meat
brown caramel toes
to feel to walk to dance
with story, with purpose
with history with pain

My mother is waiting
for me

me,
in a house
of slaves
a house
modern and pristine
lux with distraction
things things
none of which
belong to me
all past my arms reach

a game of light in shadows
an unforgiving illusion

1 comment:

  1. Khuluma dade wethu ubatshele iqiniso lamaqiniso (Speak my sister and tell them the truth of truths).

    I am so proud and honoured to have met you and shared in the dance of the spirits of our African ancestry.

    Thanks for your wisdom, craft and insuperable talent for sculpting rivers from deserts...

    Eugene

    ReplyDelete