#covid19overheard

Start/
#chronicalcoronas

from the bedroom (FTB): it can be anything,
stay ma’ away

from the lounge (FRL): it can’t just be anything
like everything and anything can be it…
that would mean we must fear everything
and everyone, from now on, forever…
where would it end

FRB (A): yes, it can be any thing, for all we know

FTL (B): no, it can’t be any thing
we know it’s a virus, a novel virus
so no vaccine…

A: see!

B: I was going to say, “yet”, no vaccine yet…
they will know more and more…over time
to come up with a vaccine they would have to
science does, normally…

A: o, so, “they” is science… but wat mean daai? novel?

B: soes new, brand new

A: soes bond, james bond, ja
alles is a mystery in ‘n conspiracy
kyk’ie geweld, orals op al die levels
dis ‘n geluk om te lewe
die wereld oor,
but wie maak wat
wie kan wat maak
ons raak te oud

B: the youth, the youth

A: the youths? Hallo-ho! as I remember it,
yous didn’t want to inherit any of this,
or be saddled with the political luggage
or historical baggage of your parents and
grandparents…borne free, mos…kyk nou
now, you stand to dodge the moral obligation
of your generation to engage the memory
of lady justice, to consolidate on the progress
van die struggle
not to go bos, enslaved by
what’s west… lekker joppe, mos…
geleerentheid, verdien so lekker geld
…independent. kar, mos…
en so, op die pad…en koep en koep, so.
het apartheid dan die jong mense skaam gemaak..?
wat is soe arrag van die struggle teen racial oppression
exploitation. kyk die poverty. niks planne nie…

B: it’s a new south africa
a new generation…
a new page

A: novel, ja. ‘n novel generation
nogge novel generation
wat goed kan kom van daai?
there’s no such thing as a break from history,
waar het jy daai gehoor
where you can just ignore what goes before
ek het daai vir hulle gesê, daai tyd al
don’t paint over the cracks
like, watter future lê in daai?
naai man, maak reg en
gat lekker vorentoe, saam

B: at least things didn’t get worse…
ek sê ma’ net, it could have been worse

A: how worse can it get
look at the situation in the townships now
got! if the news is to be believed
nogge knock!
particularly now
you know what they say
about truth at times of war…
is net world at war,
world at war vibes,
nooit ge-end nie

how long till the mask is pulled
from off the face of
this political miracle
kyk hoe swaar kry die mense nog
it’s not right,
dit gat ‘n blerrie bakleiery afgee

but it’s still a mystery
the whole thing is a  mystery

B: yes, science is a mystery

A: the land is a question unanswered, still. go figure.

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