ghoema van'ie kaap

die ghoema van’ie kaap
pols met’ie stoccato van’ie slaaf se hart
tap van’ie boesman se stap
en trap wat’ie khoikhoi rap

sy struggles, sy lied
sy lief- en heimweë sus

kaaps, die slang in die gras
perk van opvoeding gepik
taal standard anti-gif beprik
sin verleng, ‘n bedeling beding
vir die besing van bedoeling
in aangesig van gebrek en gebrekkigheid
plus vyf-laastrek, for history’s sake
make no mistake, dis 'n bedwelling

die blikkie se boem is yt
platneusvokaal uitgesnuit
hoor hoe lekke slarrie ghoema
pols met’ie stocatto van’ie slaaf se hart
tap van’ie boesman se stap
trap wat’ie khoikhoi rap

sy struggles, sy lied
sy lief- en heimweë

sy moedertaal is vreemd
in die moederland
is moederstong gesny
van moedersdenke
moedersmond van goud ontvul
keel met klip van vaderland bevul
onder bedenkinge beset en besteel
en van landskap verstom

gereg en geregtigheid slaafs
deur koningskind bepaal
en met bloed en vet betaal
die strop is getrek
die tou lank genoeg
slaan die drom, dis tyd
kom ons dans in die sirkel van verbeelding
!gda

Tickets, please...

"Regret, all shortcuts taken. Detours available on special, sale on a wide range. Call at back door, knock son clave for attention. Otherwise, ask not for whom the roll roads. Tickets, please..."

ver-onding

gestroop van self en koers
die pad verbeister
leemte het opgeraak
leeg geloop in ‘n verlamde uurglas

vervalle in doodloopstraat,
‘n plakkerskamp op niemandlandsvlakte
wat grens aan private eiendom
gemerk met ‘n vreemde kruis

omring met hakkiesdraad wat strop trek
bewaak met biskruit en die dood wat hang,
bekom deur verkragting van die siel
kranksinnige uitbuiting van die vlees

verpletterd getap van lewenswaardigheids- sap
emosie gestomp, bedwoof en bedwelm
in willekeurige slawerny
met bybel en wyn,
die loon

die vuil bloed wat loop in die are
en uit die hartpomp van die arme,
wat broer met ‘n lem in die rug beboet
en suster plats dronk ver-onmin

daar’s ‘n ondingskap gesmelt
‘n polymorph uit die vuurherd van volgehoue
rasse hitte, gestook deur haat, veraat,
gulsig-gierigheid en vrees

die onbekende alleen ken
die koloniale ghetto se geheim,
die wit olifant, die swart skaap
die boesmanskind

verdrukkersmaskers behou die skein
op die on-ding wat sluimer
in die lamheid van dinge
liefs onaangedaan gelaat
!gda

straws

traditional hats woven from last straws
tribe: written in blood
a strawman is blinded in pain
fighting windmills alas
a crow perches on the broken back
of a camel teetering on a brink
elephants turn circles
as perfection misbehaves
understanding threatens to give
in a frenzied grappling and groping
for knowing, a craving
a metaphor, a grave
a thirst...
as fullstops run dry
!gda

the future is soup

black and white
the knives and forks
in the universe of cutlery
as in the politics of the table top
the future is soup
and the spoon perverse
!gda

rationed nationality

rationed nationality
what rationality, does your rationality, expect from me, homey?
what rationality exists for me when your “black pain” rationality negates me,
and my “black pain” rationality irritates you, homey?
how shall we approach irrationality, then, national homey?

!gda

meat machine

there was no meat machine
metal gadgets
running steel gears,
precision grinding flesh mince
and tenderizing toughest meat,
for the production
at industrial level
of wisdom

mental widgets
intellectual instruments,
control cutting problem solution
and harmonizing contradictions
for the development
at public level
of love

there was no way, surely
not en mass, anyway, certainly
to foster such as commodity
to amass such as wealth
intangible currency

there is no way
to make tender souls
without breaking spirits
to make humanity
without touching man’s heart

or is there? hey, wait a minute..?
hold that thought...

!gda