previous
 
 
 

UPHAWU
Unabuphi ubuhle na?
Unaluphi uju na?
Unaluphi udobo na?
Udobo olungabuyi lulambatha
Ufika nobumnyama okobusuku

Ungen’imizi nemizana
Ushiye uphawu ngemumva
Uphawu olungenabulili
Uphawu olungenaminyaka
Uphawu olungenasigwili
Uphawu olungenasifundiswa

Uqoqa kuqaqambe inhliziyo
Kulume isisu kozele
Kuxeg’amadolo kom’umlomo bantakababa
Ubon’umhlab’usigubuzela
Usigubuzela kuphele ukwazi

Abantu baphenduk’izithuli
Abantu baphenduk’izimpumputhe
Kwand’amaxhegu
Kwand’amaxhegukazi
Sesahlala sizichitshana okwezikawu

Akekho ongathi ubanjwe ngesidlovana
Ukulubela ubumnandi kuphelile
Amaphupho ashabalele
Impilo ishabalele
Ishabalalise okwentuthu yamaphepha
A MARK
What kind of beauty do you have?
What kind of honey do you have?
What kind of fish hook do you have?
A fish hook which does not come back empty handed
You bring darkness like the night

You visit big and small houses
And leave a mark behind
A mark that does not have gender
A mark that does not have age
A mark that has no wealthy person
A mark that does not have an educated person

You collect until a heart pains
And the stomach pains and is sleepy
Knees get weak; the mouth dries out my father’s children
And see earth closing on us
Closing on us leaving us dumb

People have turned mute
People have turned blind
There are a lot of grandfathers
There are a lot of grandmothers
We are like monkeys

No one can claim to be strangled
To enjoy pleasure it’s over
Dreams are gone
Life is gone
It has disappeared like smoke from papers