By Angel Joseph I walk through the world with open eyes–Every crack in the pavement speaks,Every silence hums a secret.I wonder-Do they hear it too?The hush between footsteps,The story folded inside a sigh? A poet’s burden is noticing-To see beyond the surface,To catch the shimmer in the ordinary.But sometimes I ask myself:Is this vision mine... Continue Reading →
By Kago Boitshwarelo I am the eldest daughter –Not self-proclaimed,But it is my birthright, I carry more than just my name,I carry pride,I carry heritage and dignity,A living loom for future generations, I am the deputy mother,I am my father’s echo in higher keys,Draped in a coat of responsibility, I am strength when things fall... Continue Reading →
by Noah Vale She said that man touched her inappropriately.That was a problem to me. I’m conflictedmaybe it’s my mother in me,maybe my father,maybe both. I love her.But something in me kept quiet. When she asked me to speak,I said, “next week.”Or maybe, “I’ll see.” She broke a little in front of me.And I felt... Continue Reading →
By Sethunya Hlobisa Matsie We're in brown and red.When she said read, I spelt.My words coming anchored withinShame tinted cords.Sinking in my seat.Bala! Swallowing breaths and snickering.Muffled laughs breaking the stiff silence.Time is a conspirator,Private schooling accent a dagger,Sweat wetting my white shirt.Bala! At the full stop, I exhale.And pause to listen to my neighbourSpelling... Continue Reading →
By Baone Peace Moalosi We carry bodies – ours,Theirs, broken ones, blamed ones.We carry names we don’t say anymore.We carry hands we trusted,Until they turned into weapons. We carry beds too big,Doors that don’t lock,And rooms that still smell like fear. We carry “I’m fine” stitched into our lips.We carry “It’s nothing” like a shield.We... Continue Reading →
By Dr Teedzani Thapelo i wake with the weight of sixty years, the days pressed deep into my skineach wrinkle a map of lost vitality, a fading memory of strengthmy bones creak as i rise, joints groan with the labour of livingthe mirror reflects a stranger’s face, each sagging line a betrayal;once, i stood tall,... Continue Reading →
By Noah Vale She looks for a father’s love in your son’s armsravaging a spine of light in dark mattercheated out her dress by your son’s tongue After what had felt like a dreamin her innocence she’s rushed outonce the sun’s out And your son knows no betterhis hunger mistaking her body for love She... Continue Reading →
By Dr Teedzani Thapelo i stand here, lungs heavy with the ash of indifferencegrey tendrils curling like smoke from a fire that never coolsevery breath i take—half stolen, half given back—draws poison from skies that once held songbirds in dancenow crowded with the quiet choke of our forgetting. my chest feels the weight of cities... Continue Reading →
By Noah Vale I wrote a poem today and hated it And in its mirror, I hated me How can I love a woman when I grew up Thinking my mother hated me And how can I have a daughter and be the The father she needs A cruel reminder thinking a woman Deserves it... Continue Reading →
By Sethunya Hlobisa Matsie The kitchen where you stand, Pots hot and stoves ablaze, With spices you incite, A mouthful of tongues that dance. The plants in your garden, Gently pruned, tenderly grown. The children who obey your commands, Are your gift to this earth. A bowl of honour, Set apart for life's commemoration. Those... Continue Reading →
Petlwana Journal of Creative Literature and the Arts 