Poem: Letter to South Africa

Oni Abidemi Martins September 17, 2015

Ernesto Alfabeto Nhamuave

Ernesto Alfabeto Nhamuave was beaten, stabbed and set alight in Ramaphosa during the xenophobic attacks of 2008.

In memory of those gone in the xenophobic attacks‎

O brother, soweto
Mandela his blessed and bold belly
Why do you stab me your own?
So deep in the chest to hear me moan
That to your ears

O air of mandela his breath
Why do I please you at death?
Deep down a waste to you no use

Remember the uhuru songs
The kwaito I danced along
At the burdens of the imperials
When lasting sorrow had we serial
When movement had not one bearing
But firm and sturdy onward we trudged singing

Why? o rolhilhala his emission
Do you fail to embrace me in submission?
Your kindred then at arms for humiliating saps
Same did we in sweet sorrow sip
Dudu’s dwindling breast still a testimony

Let us walk down in to the dark moon
When our only chants in shackles
Was side by side your scars and uhuru we cackled
That our backs be not late and soon
Turned the opposite futures

Let a hug firm hug that our song booms
And never to us return unyielding

Last Edited by:Abena Agyeman-Fisher Updated: March 25, 2016

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