DAVID WA MAAHLAMELA

Visiting a top-dog

Pity! Pity!
I have no time for later
Waiting? Waiting?
Rather drop it, doesn’t matter

I approached him
To narrate my thoughts
What did he say?
Let’s discuss it later

Pity! Pity!
I have no time for later
Waiting? Waiting?
Rather drop it, doesn’t matter

KGAREBEKGOLOMODUMO

Le ge ba re nku re reka mosela
Mo gona o be o tsenwe ke kota ihlong.
Ntome tsebe wešo, o re ke yena yo?
Poo ye ya lekgarebe?
Meriri ya leetse, lešoka la bofulatau,
Mahlodikgampi nke o setlilwe ke lebake
A go hlaba ka ona o gagabiša sefahlego.
Tsebemakgaphakgapha pshio tša tlou,
Dipolai ke dikgero makgonagedi,
Maširaphefo e le megoma makgathalehwiti,
Mmamabadibadi tlalomeediedi
Nke o bjaragaditšwe ka seretse,
Fahlego e le sona sa ramaswaile se ipheditše,
Badimo, tsogang le tle le mpontšhe!

Wešo, ntome tsebe: o re ke yena yo?
Kgarebekgolomodumo ye?
Mmelemafehlefehle nke o netšwe ke mahlophaasenya,
Lehwafa le hlaba mokgoši la go šiiša,
Bona mafuri, dipepenene ka nnete,
Le ge ba re meetsematšididi ke meetsematšididi,
A timola lenyora go swana,
Fela tše ke dikhupamarama, diruthulamatswalo samma,
A nke o bone mosepelo...
O babaila nke o hlabilwe ke mampatakgamo,
Ka manotlo a dithethenkgwane tša batala.
Ge o robetše naye o lora toro dife?
O re ka mmakgonthe ’a kgodi a kgokgo ke yena yo?
Se iše pelo mafiša madi’ ešo, e re ke go leše mohudu:

E ba sepharamedi, ngamarela tii-tii!
Sa tsopa ke go kgwahla.

KE LEMA KE LE NOŠI

Go lema ke a lema,
Ke lema ke le noši.
Go mpha ihlo ba a mpha,
Fela ba mpha ba sa mphe.

Go kopela ke a kopela,
Ke kopela ke le noši.
Go mpona ba a mpona,
Fela ba mpona ba sa mpone.

Go hlagolela ke a hlagolela,
Ke hlagolela ke le noši.
Go nkadima letsogo ba a nkadima,
Fela ba nkadima ba sa nkadime.

Hlaba lehlabula nako ya go khora,
E tla ba dintši mpokeboke,
Di wela phonkge maswing’ešo,
Le go gama di sa go tsebe.

A fetoga nonyana sehlokišwaboroko, 
A re o dula hlareng se, gwa lla leswika, 
A bo kgotlelela botšididi bja naka ge e fshuma, 
A e aloša koma lefase la bea mokganya phatleng, 
La gagwe lesedi la apola kgampi ya leswiswi, 
Yena Madiba, sediba sa timalenyora.

those who are not dead yet
for aryan kaganof

those who are not dead yet are not necessarily alive
they are walking see-throughs of heavy feet lifting
clumsy shoes, ghosts of time tiptoeing the starlit night
humming wordless death with tunes of manenberg jazz
the township is headless tonight rediscovering its madness
killing shaka and van damme with the same paper spear
heroes who are not heroes adorned in exported capes
tumbling shacks of fear stumbling into naked reality

those who are not dead yet are not necessarily alive
they are the deadly alive ensnared by the sin of forgiveness
internal bleeding brushed aside as we strike a pose
the feet of the sky walks defenceless on lairs of beasts
clouds darken as they clear, ours darken to darken further
wearing a giant shadow that imposes stillness like
the brief pause between fired missiles striking down gaza
love is still a perennial site of war and transparent values.