Poem
Jerry Zondo
From ... To ...
From bravery to cowardice, so quickly
From a force of arms, a sharp spear
Long assegai, protective shield of tough bull hide to ‘disarmed native’
From thick tough soles embalmed in protective sandal to soft Bata-shoed feet
From a tough stomach interior accommodating inkobe, roast meat, umqombothi
To runny cholera-ridden iphalitsha tummies.
From a proud uMthwakazi past, to a grovelling contemporary farm boy, mine boy, kitchen-boy.
I stare my fate straight in its eyes
I toy with my new freedom of short-wave wireless
I listen to the screech and screams and the beautiful BBC news-reader’s voice
I hear about a crushed revolution here and a failed guerrilla intrusion there,
I listen to the sad news of many dead ‘monkey men’
I hear about the sad loss in combat of few brave white men.
I strain my ears to hear that failed black uprising
I hear the loud announcement of British bravery.
From free men, free warrior, free suitor
To prisoner, to captive, to colonised, to acculturated.
From lad, regiment, maiden, lady,
To worker, garden boy, garbage man, factory worker.
From the king’s advisor, statesman and royalty,
To bass boy, slave driver, sell-out, jail warder, yes-man.
© Translation: 2006, Jerry Zondo
Kusukela ... kusiya ...
Kusukela ... kusiya ...
Kusukela ebuqhaweni kusiya ebugwaleni masinyazana
Kusukela ezikhalikazini umkhonto cijile
Umkhonto mude, ihawu isivikelo sesikhumba senkunzi,
Kusiya ‘kowomdabu ongahlomanga’!
Kusukela esolini eqatha egqunyiswe linyathelo
Kusiya kwezifotofoto zikaBata izinyawo
Kusukela eluswini olugqibe inkobe, inyama, umqombothi,
Kusiya kwesilulakazi esintshantshaza uhudo sigqitshwe liphalitsha
Kusukela kuMthwakazi ongezolo inhle kusiya emfaneni wanamhla wekhitshi lenkomponi.
Ngibheke indalo yami emehlweni
Ngidlalisa undiphethe wami omutsha wewayilesi yamagagasimafitshane
Ngilalele ukuklikliza lokuklabalasa lelizwi elimnandi lentokazi ibala izindaba zeBBC
Ngilalele izindaba ezidanisayo zomvukela osunqotshiwe lapha, lempi kamalwecatsha eyehluleke ngale
Ngilalele izindaba ezidanisayo zabayi150 ababuleweyo ‘abamadodazinkawu’
Ngilalele ukwehlulwa empini kwabahlanu babamhlophe abebe lezibindi
Ngenyelisa izindlebe ngizwisisa ngomvukela wonsundu owehluleyo
Ngizwa umbiko omsindoyo wobuqhawe beBhilithane.
Kusukela endodeni ekhululekileyo, empini ekhululekileyo, eseshelini esikhululekileyo
Kusiya esibotshweni, umthunjwa, owasekoloni, ophucuzekileyo
Kusukela ejaheni, ibutho, intombi, inina
Kusiya esisebenzini,umtshali, isisebenzindlini, umthwalangcekeza, isisebenzimafekithali
Kusukela kumacebisankosi, isazimthethombuso, umdlunkulu,
Kusiya kubasibhoyi, ubusasigqili, umthengisi, umlindimajele, uholangivume!
© 2006, Jerry Zondo
Poems
Poems of Jerry Zondo
Close
From ... To ...
From bravery to cowardice, so quickly
From a force of arms, a sharp spear
Long assegai, protective shield of tough bull hide to ‘disarmed native’
From thick tough soles embalmed in protective sandal to soft Bata-shoed feet
From a tough stomach interior accommodating inkobe, roast meat, umqombothi
To runny cholera-ridden iphalitsha tummies.
From a proud uMthwakazi past, to a grovelling contemporary farm boy, mine boy, kitchen-boy.
I stare my fate straight in its eyes
I toy with my new freedom of short-wave wireless
I listen to the screech and screams and the beautiful BBC news-reader’s voice
I hear about a crushed revolution here and a failed guerrilla intrusion there,
I listen to the sad news of many dead ‘monkey men’
I hear about the sad loss in combat of few brave white men.
I strain my ears to hear that failed black uprising
I hear the loud announcement of British bravery.
From free men, free warrior, free suitor
To prisoner, to captive, to colonised, to acculturated.
From lad, regiment, maiden, lady,
To worker, garden boy, garbage man, factory worker.
From the king’s advisor, statesman and royalty,
To bass boy, slave driver, sell-out, jail warder, yes-man.
© 2006, Jerry Zondo
From ... To ...
From bravery to cowardice, so quickly
From a force of arms, a sharp spear
Long assegai, protective shield of tough bull hide to ‘disarmed native’
From thick tough soles embalmed in protective sandal to soft Bata-shoed feet
From a tough stomach interior accommodating inkobe, roast meat, umqombothi
To runny cholera-ridden iphalitsha tummies.
From a proud uMthwakazi past, to a grovelling contemporary farm boy, mine boy, kitchen-boy.
I stare my fate straight in its eyes
I toy with my new freedom of short-wave wireless
I listen to the screech and screams and the beautiful BBC news-reader’s voice
I hear about a crushed revolution here and a failed guerrilla intrusion there,
I listen to the sad news of many dead ‘monkey men’
I hear about the sad loss in combat of few brave white men.
I strain my ears to hear that failed black uprising
I hear the loud announcement of British bravery.
From free men, free warrior, free suitor
To prisoner, to captive, to colonised, to acculturated.
From lad, regiment, maiden, lady,
To worker, garden boy, garbage man, factory worker.
From the king’s advisor, statesman and royalty,
To bass boy, slave driver, sell-out, jail warder, yes-man.
© 2006, Jerry Zondo
Sponsors
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère