Portal for Writers and Poets in South Africa
his heart held a modicum of attraction
which quickly intensified that he hastily disregarded the opprobrium
that would inevitably follow all unbefitting association with a betrothed woman
and ripe as the fruit of his passion was
there was clearly no petering out, no separating the pips from the pulp
he had to have her or no one
so wholly… was his want
© Heath Muchena
I had a sweet dream last night
Real Heaven on earth
It was crystal clear and so real
Until I woke back to reality
I flew to worlds unknown in my sleep
Where no living soul has ever reached
Everything there was perfectly beautiful
I really wish I could live there forever
I reached a certain place last night
Where I saw men and women living together
Respecting each other as equals
Until I opened my eyes to the same reality
I badly wanted to learn a thing or two
On how they live and find happiness together
But I was quickly awaken back
By the wailing voice of a raped little girl
I had so many questions to ask them
How their women feel safe around men
Wearing whatever feels comfortable
Without the end less fear of being raped
I wanted to know a little more
How it is possible in their world
For little angels to play around
Without arousing the lust of some grey headed man
I entered some real dreamland last night
Where no man lays a hand on a woman
And abuse of children is a thing unknown
It all vanished when I woke to the real world
I had a sweet dream last night
I saw glimpses of a perfect world
Where ALL are equal
But I guess it was just a sweet dream!
Rise up, Africa, rise
Come on put your hands together
I’ve heard the wailing voice of a woman
The deafening cry of her child can’t escape my ear
Have you given any thought to the plight
Of that miserable, helpless African woman?
Her last meal she can’t even remember
Her dying child crushes her heart at every glance
Gunshot has left her trembling
Who will protect the African woman?
When her protector has turned her oppressor
Destitute and traumatized she has been left
From the tight grip of brutal oppression
Who will rescue the African woman?
Her loudest crying voice
Has found no ears to fall on
Deep in the jungle somewhere
Where no arm is long enough to reach her
She lonely stares death in the face
Ready to snatch her helpless child away.
I see you, You see me
Yet we don’t see each other
We hide behind veils of pretense
Yet conjure ungrounded opinions
No acknowledgment is required
But clarity is needed
I’m wrong, You’re wrong
Both at fault
Abominable pride restrains
The words tipping on my tongue
So we carry on
I see you,You see me
Yet we choose not to see each other
What do Poets look like?
Please, do tell.
You who seem to know
everything so well.
What do Poets look like?
You, who can’t even convert
a few pictures into words.
And, how can you tell?
You, who don’t even know
how to express
your thoughts and feelings
On paper
Do they have tired eyed
from reading too much?
Or, are their fingers
covered with ink,
from writing until the early
hours of the morning?
Please, tell me.
What do Poets look like?
I was pleased to hear your name
I was amazed to see a face like you
Your smile, time stop for that moment to wonder
Scared as I was, my heart would had broken if I did not say hello
For once I took notice of my voice and your voice was unbelievable
I spoke my heart out
I told of secrets kept hidden from the rest
I held and assured you to never let go
My life was for you to protect
I held your hand and walk with you through that storm
Your tears I hold precious not to fall down
In your eyes I saw not an angel, but the image of the lady in my dreams
You told me I was everything that you ever wanted and likewise I said
I called you not darling, sweet heart neither my chocolate, but by your name
You said it was sweet, and your name was sweet
Then suddenly I was walking by past your place
I saw you holding his hand and I nearly died of honesty
Was it really you my sweet cheating on me?
I would not come to believe it
You saw me and your head went down and mind started to shake from left to right in disbelieve
It was the truth we lost it, we really lost it
You told me the day after my heart break that you never meant to hurt me
It was the truth you were always going to break my heart
Tears like a river come rolling down my cheeks
I wanted to hate you, but my love for you was too pure to consider it
Storm, storms and grey weather become my daily existence
I was dead inside for my smile is just a frown
Lady of mine you left me fragile
Then one day I smiled with myself for once to see what will happen
The thought of you just disappeared
I was free from you now
Then one day I heard you were looking for me
I found you sitting on top of a branch of a fallen tree
You ran and hugged me
Your face was full of tears
I wanted to push you away, but all I could do was embrace you
I embraced you because I knew how it hurt and nobody deserves it
You said he broke your heart and the pain was unbearable
I told you to stop because you made no sense
Then you started weeping, I had nothing on me to wipe your tears away
So I offered my brand new t-shirt
It mattered not to me that it was brand new, what mattered was you
You asked me how could he? I asked what could he what?
You said how could he take you away from me?
Was it a question you just asked me?
It was getting late; can I take you home I asked?
You said you had no place to call home and I was the only place you could call home
You begged for forgiveness, for what I asked?
Please forgive me for the hurt and pain I caused you
I said don’t worry with a face mixed with emotions
I could not show my disappointment neither my hurt
Damn you shouted!!!!
What went wrong you asked?
I said nothing went wrong was best answered
Believe in me and I believed in you
You said one day I will remember you
I said I don’t want to see your face again
Remember the summer you said it will never end
Remember the winter you said you felt warm in my arms
Now we speak of you, him and me, instead of the of us
It will make no difference if we cry foul
You hide behind lies with such truth
Your truth is far from your heart
Your thoughts are creeping far away from your mind
Remember this is what we call love
Forget what we call it, it was never meant to be
Loveless
FLANEGAN THABO NTSHOTSHO
Stop lingering in my thoughts
Cease from abiding in my dreams
Let me go, let me be
These stirrings in my heart
Folly on my part
Silent conflict raging through my mind
Restless whispers clawing out my mouth
Let me go, let me be
I have nothing to offer thee
Turmoil, as to how I came to be
Because I ceased to be
Existing within a perfect flawed state of being
Looking at the reflection of what I ought to be
Not who I am meant to be
Bordered on the good-bad, of what it means to be me
Lingering on the truth presented before me
I grapple to distinguish opinion to fact
A pity,
For I feel but a sham of what I am supposed to be
Friendship
Is based on trust, honesty and communication
A sacred tie thats its bound together
With love and kindness
A friendship is based on respect
Humanity and humility
Friendship is the only
cement that will ever
hold the union together.
A friendship is a union that two people are comfortable with each other
United to share anything
Whether its full of joy or pain.
A friendship is when somebody else is able to understand your silence
Your pain, your anger and your joy
A friendship its a bond that strengthen by the mile you go through together
Challenges you face without ceasing but prevailing.
A friendship that is treasured only based on God
#Ntabie
Our worlds are intertwined,
The more we try to understand it,
The more complex we make it.
The past, the present and the future,
Are one interconnected force.
Our mind is our universe,
Our tool to create, to change,
Our perspectives, the realm in which we live,
Where children are free to think
And to draw from their imagination.
We ultimately learn to adapt to change,
And rely on something symbolic to clinch on.
As we grow older,
Logic and reasoning becomes,
Evident in everything we do and think of.
We may not have have control of our lives,
Forcefully, the elite take it upon themselves,
To mark society as their possession,
Their identity, to uphold their reputations,
But what if in the near future…
I can see people programmed to carry out,
Tasks encrypted in their skin,
Emotionless beings resisting an apocalyptic war,
Between Mother Nature and Science.
The past and the future, a spirit in disguise
Among the archived artifacts,
That poses as a threat to humanity,
For those who rebel for freedom,
Past down memories of their ancestors,
Still influences their scarce culture.
What if we had the power to be individuals?
Would conflict be certain against those?
Who technology dictates to and governs,
Their world of fantasy of dreams?
The present the catalyst and transition,
Between past and the future,
What we do now becomes the past,
And affects the future that lies ahead.
Perhaps if we should be ignorant for power,
Greed will lead to suffering at the end.
Of seeing what we have built become ruins
In nature, what we have created,
Results in our almost extinction,
In our afterlife, after the future.
Our failures, our faults,
Sets us back to look at what we had before,
Reliving the past as though it were our future.
We have become slaves to our minds.
The ego determines your perception.
Suffering is a reality that cannot be avoided.
Confusion of religion or culture becomes,
A disillusion to you, your love to your fellow being,
Seems new to you, whereas before the trend,
In society when relationships were not a crime,
But a true sign between humanity and itself.
What if today is your future?
Tomorrow your past, the next your present.
In the next life of your recantation,
Would you still be searching for you?
Alone in the ruins of your creation?
