By Ronald Tlhokojapelo The summer solstice hadcome at last.And quietly crept throughthe windows of societylike an insidious fog.The rains being late,the dry figs fellto the grounda loose teardropfrom an ecstatic eye,drawing neither applausenor reproof.The bloomed hyacinth lingeredover the bronzed alpslike an ancient monumenton a desolate courtyard.Stern.Unwavering.Timeless.They could all be heard.The howl of the noontideand the... Continue Reading →
By Amantle Gabolekwe You hate me. Which is tragic, because Gladys and your mother already decided you’re my therapist. Not officially, that would be a boring man named Dr. Matsheka, who runs group sessions at my university where the posters read Wellness is a Journey. Never mind that you’re only an undergraduate student in sociology... Continue Reading →
By Tapiwa. If only I could build four wallsTo surround meA sanctuaryMy personal monasteryTo sit in silence and seek retributionFor my tainted soulTo understand this esoteric natureThat resides within meTo lay to restThis suffocating feeling of disdainTo be one with every elementAnd nothing that exists in this dimensionSilence in isolationBirthing complete peace If only I... Continue Reading →
By Gomolemo Kgosimodimo A dedicated creative woman whose name was Coex’ae Qgam, popularly known as Dada. I used to see her on TV back in the 90s and during those times it was very uncommon for women to be active in the art space. She gave me hope; she inspired me to believe in my... Continue Reading →
By Kewagamang Dakamo I am the river that refused the ocean,the wanderer who chose the desert’s ribs.Others rush to the seabut I paused,to teach sand how to dream of water. I am the mouth of elephants,drinking me like scripture at dawn.Their tusks shine with my lilies,their thunder shakes my channelswhile I wear their memory like... Continue Reading →
By Lauri Kubuitsile Week 1 If you see her lying there you might think for a moment she’s sleeping; sleeping on the sandy bottom, her hair flowing in the water back and forth, back and forth, gently blowing in the watery breeze. She is still, locked in place by the stone tied at her waist... Continue Reading →
By Mirrors I was raised where the cattle roam free,In a village where we sat under treesTaught to be quiet, taught to obey,Told who to be but not what to say. I smiled through the rules and the Sunday dress,But inside me was chaos, longing, and stress.A girl who could feel more than she spoke,Who... Continue Reading →
By Dr. Teedzani Thapelo Kabelo closed the thick case file and rubbed his eyes. Another not guilty plea for another client whose innocence he doubted. Through the window of his small law office, Gaborone’s late afternoon sun cast long rectangles of light across the cluttered desk. Dust motes swirled in the beams, dancing idly above stacks of... Continue Reading →
By Charity Modise, The Poetic Survivor Wild dogs howl at the dying sunWelcoming the face of the moon.Dark sky adorned with stars,The earth's ears finally know peace.Birds of the night leap with ease,Flapping their wings in jubilation. Dreams come out to play in the mind.Worn out souls find rest.Spirits of the dead live again,Renewal pours... Continue Reading →
By Kgosi Aleck Ntshetlho As wild as it sounds, it is an establishmentlike hell, only without the sulphur and brimstone.In a region where tradition, norm and customs are the steering wheel,it’s quite hard to breathe and walk around the marketplace freelyas they are watching. In almost all cultures it’s considered a western evil brought by... Continue Reading →
Petlwana Journal of Creative Literature and the Arts 