By Priscilla Makaeko When I close my eyes and listen to the whisper of the Okavango winds moving across the mokolwane palms, I feel the heartbeat of my people. I am Priscilla Makaeko, a daughter of Beetsha Village in the northwest corner of Botswana, and a proud descendant of the Hambukushu. Ours is a people... Continue Reading →
By Tapiwa. May it be real, authenticMay I not beg for onceI need to feel its genuineRaw nature. Many faces have proclaimed their loveMasks harbouring grisly intentionsMy heart is tetheredIt moves through my bones and skin too. Anguished by guiltI pity thyselfBecause here I am asking from the universe"Let it be different.” I wish not... Continue Reading →
By Neelo Lentebanye A letter to my younger self-and to every boy child still running. Inspired by the story of a friend. Dear Lebang, You were five. Just a little boy with dust-coated heels and a wild imagination, growing up in Mosetse village, where the air always smelled of wood-smoke and cow dung. You often... Continue Reading →
By Mirrors I never planned this… not the pen, not the page,Not the flood of truth at this age.I was healing in silence, suppressing the rage,Till the words broke through like a bird from a cage. I never chose the stanzas, they just rose from my chest,Where memory lingered and longing found rest.Each line was... Continue Reading →
By Moffat Matenge When he left the moody village of Motlhabaneng, Choza had not the slightest idea that this trip had in store for him precious memories that he would cherish for eons to come. It was during his last year at primary school, precisely the last weekend before the scheduled commencement of the final... Continue Reading →
By Lee Letsogile My body is not mine.I’m clay and he's a potter,Bending only to his touch.On some days he lovingly holds me,Like a flower in his calloused hands.On most days I’m an autumn leaf crackling under his firm grip,He sews me with half baked promises, and feeds me apologies that pile up on my... Continue Reading →
By Boago Benedict Samakabadi The eatery was erected towards the North, out of Letlhakane towards Orapa, which was actually more west than north. There, beside the A14 highway, a few hundred paces from the junction to the Karowe mine. Almost isolated among the mopane, it radiated its own unique brilliance in the auspicious Boteti kimberlite... Continue Reading →
By Poetic Posh I come from a place where the sun wakes early,Its rays kissing hills that carry stories,Where children’s laughter echoes through dusty roads,And women wear strength like head wraps bold. I come from soil that remembers footsteps,From lands that bloom even through drought,Where cows graze slow and peaceful songsRise from throats that never... Continue Reading →
By Kewagamang Dakamo The people of Beetsha village had long believed that the moon was a living being. Not just a ball of light floating above their thatched roofs, but a watchful elder who guarded the secrets of the night. They said it listened to whispers, drank dreams, and returned them as light. But no... Continue Reading →
By Gomolemo Kgosimodimo This painting depicts a woman as a representation of leadership in a home setup. Children are the future, they are the light of the world and will lead one day. It is in our hands as their guardians to ensure we lead them on the appropriate path regardless of the challenges we... Continue Reading →
Petlwana Journal of Creative Literature and the Arts 