I remember a tunnel
of flesh
Wading out hard
Pushing
Wading out hard
Pushing
Struggling
I was that one
I won the race they lost
I was that one
I won the race they lost
Harder
Better
Faster
Stronger
Better
Faster
Stronger
And a glorious light shone
It came to me and with striking eyes met me
Welcomed and introduced me to first breath
To life
Fulness
The life I won the race for
The life I struggled so hard for
Shoving from the back
For which i fought long and hard to receive
The life I won the race for
The life I struggled so hard for
Shoving from the back
For which i fought long and hard to receive
I heard plans of my burial
Dustbins of glass
Refuse tombstones
Family planning
I have only life and this to was and is soon to be taken from me
The pain was to much though
She could not reconcile the cutting
The knife spared me
Guilt kept my heart beating
She is dead now
Dead by herself
Dead by her mind
And by her mind I am too to die
My mother
My executioner
My betrayer and all I had
I can never have given for I have never received
Therefore I will cling to it all
It is cold now and these last days have stretched over the earth
The public fridges are fished out
No longer vending bones
I have nobody, not even you
I am rejected and lonely
I wonder and have no place to rest like your Son of Man
Shelters are saturated
I am hungry and cold
Scared
Empty
Angry
I blame YOU
I blame ME
I blame GOD
Most of all I blame God
I have been a tool in the hands of feeble minds and have proved useful
Angry
I blame YOU
I blame ME
I blame GOD
Most of all I blame God
I have been a tool in the hands of feeble minds and have proved useful
But
I am dying now
I have no hope
I am dying now
I have no hope
Time not mine to spend nor spent at my expense
Tomorrow I will be six
Tomorrow I will be six
Yoh the first two stanzas kind of take it to a level of glorious victory and then BAM - death, darkness, devastation. from what point of view does this inspiration come. It ends in anticlimax. I would also be interested to know the relevance of age six.
ReplyDeleteThe poem concerns an everyday situation on South African streets. Undoubtedly, even streets around the world. The child was born of a mother who as homeless and had contracted HIV/AIDS. She had considered aborting him or her but then decided to keep the child. Merely because she was scared, not because she actually wanted the child.
ReplyDeleteThe mother had subsequently died from her disease and the child was left behind homeless and having contracted the disease from his or her mother.
Its simply a story of child's experience through it all.
The significance of age 6 is precisely that. I intended to end it abruptly to bring forth an abrupt reality of the situation on our streets and to contrast this with the innocence of a young child. I wanted to capture the child reflecting on his short time alive in relief that he has managed to survive his disease and the street until age 6. Anticipating the unfortunate but inevitable reality of HIV/AIDS.
Oooooh the rationale makes it even more sad because the scenario is so real.
ReplyDeleteYes...its unfortunate...
ReplyDelete