By Rebaone K. Motsumi I remember the first time I saw you performPalpitations had my heart beating out of syncI wanted to print all of it in inkThe eight year old in me was mesmerisedHeld in awe by the true artistry categorisedBy your expertiseHow I loved your performance! You held a hoe in your right... Continue Reading →
By Phodiso Modirwa The Woman Next to the Window The girl sitting next to me on the bus keeps shifting in her seat. I am sandwiched between her and the window and with every few minutes, I have to relinquish an inch of my space and let her claim it. If it were any other... Continue Reading →
By Rebaone Ramonyadiwa Moagi cast one long leg over the fence, then the other. He reached down, picked up his red cooler box, and walked on. His Converse sneakers were as white as the day he had bought them, and he moved deliberately, careful not to get any dirt on his shoes. As he walked... Continue Reading →
By Angel Joseph We all wear skins, so different, so true,In hues of the earth, from every view.Some are as light as the soft morning sun,Others are dark, like the night that’s just begun. Each skin a story, a history so deep,A tapestry woven from promises we keep.Some born of lands with the brightest gold,Others... Continue Reading →
By Laone J. Mangwa After receiving feedback on his fourth draft, Mokwadi feels invigorated and ready to prepare the story for final submission. He’s part of a continental virtual writing master-class being hosted from Uganda. Mokwadi closes his laptop, pushes back his desk chair, stares momentarily at the framed certificate hanging on the wall above... Continue Reading →
By Cynthia Thanda As you click your computerBrowsing through the liesFabricated to erase my lifeKnow that I am somewhereUnder the sizzling sandsThat now suffocate my land. My rotting body lies on the groundIt’s a feast for the flies all aroundWhile my son clutchesMy corpse, crying for his father. Don’t forget it’s your silence that killed... Continue Reading →
Akim Mbwemanga “Later, later,” I cried.Mother Nature smiledKnowing precisely all that’s meant to be,Everything her spouse had in store for me,“Do it later,” I said, unfortunately. Father Time grinned,“He said later?”He burst into laughter“Doesn't he know I'm fleeting?”His tone was clear, I had sinned. “Do it later,” I saidWith pride swelling around my headForgetting that's... Continue Reading →
By Angel Joseph I wish you cheated, broke my heart in two,Left a stain so deep, I could hate you.I wish you lied, said cruel things in spite,So I’d have a reason to block you at night. But you were kind, and that’s what hurts most,No slam of the door, no haunting ghost.You walked away... Continue Reading →
By Dorcas B. Molefe The Fish Eagle radio newscaster Kantejang Kantejang announced on the 19:00 news that the Form 5 examination results were out. His voice was warm and pleasant. I had longed for their release but the announcement gave my heart a louder, faster beat and my head felt heavier than before. The newscaster’s... Continue Reading →
By Ronald Tlhokojapelo I. i. Every nation carries its secretslike the red mist that billowsfrom the half-glance of the sunat the break of a pocketed dawn. This is Kopong,where the shepherd has penned his sheep,each bud has begun to sproutand the grooms stand; their flowers plucked. A land began to breathe.Clothed in a cradle of... Continue Reading →
Petlwana Journal of Creative Literature and the Arts 