from The San’s Promise - by
They came from the south
/ holding the sun in their right hand
/ like an object of worship,
/ crossed the Mohokare into the mountains,
/ leather…
African poetry
from A Cock Crows in Rwanda - by
Usually, beloved, I crow,
/ And my name is Rusake the Cock,
/ The same one most people chow down on,
/ Especially my delicious neck.
/ I’m…
Hard Working Women - by
Hold on Women of great courage
/ You have held on so bravely and tirelessly
/ Hold on Women of great courage, hold on
/
/ Women…
Tagalakoy - by
Elle vient de si loin
/ Tagalakoy
/ Elle marche pieds nus
/ Tagalakoy
/ Elle défie la chaleur
/ Tagalakoy
/ Elle vient de si loin
/ Elle défie la faim
/ Tagalakoy
/
/ Tagalakoy ! Tagalakoy…
2 Termite Skyscrapers - by
2
/ termite
/ skyscrapers
/
/ he tries
/ to separate
/ his
/ eyes
/
/ the man
/ who
/ minds
/ 2
/ termite
/ skyscrapers
/
/ comes home
/ with
/ nothing
/ and
/ a
/ headache
/ …
African Moon - by
In my village where girls dress
In clothes the color of joy
And dance to the slender sound of the drum
Careful! - by
pull
/ a
/ rope
/ and
/ the
/ rope
/ pulls
/ in
/ the
/ forest
/ and
/ with
/ the
/ forest
/ leopards
/ come
/ to
/ town.
/ …
Some Bright Elegance - by
For the screwfaced in good shoes that paper
/ the walls of dance halls. I have little patience.
/ I say dance, not to…
The Brooch - by
Grandmother, grandmother,
/ Since he left I think only of him
/ And I see him everywhere
/ He gave me a fine silver brooch
/ And when…
Bushwoman stands here . . . - by
Bushwoman stands here
/ Night hangs over her
/ Stars stab it
/
/ Hunter-stars
/ that rip night
/ take his heart
/
/ Bushwoman sings here
/ Night hangs over her
/ The land lies still
/
/ Hunter-stars
/ that…
Agoh-o, the Children’s Nation - by
Agoh-o little friends of the streets
/ Of the fields
/ Of the schoolyards and villages
/ Agoh-o nation of children
/ Exploring the familiar landscapes
/ In the neighbourhoods…
from A – Z - by
Remember the time when a man from the north
/ Wrote a letter received by a man from the south
/ And the second…