With hearts still bleeding
mouths wide torn from protest
dry tongues taste the nectar
of a dream’s flower.
They sang songs of joy
after the winds subsided
“victory at last”
they breathed.
amongst the many smiling faces
at the dinner table
a monster clings to existence and
says grace with an eye open.
At the dinner table
the more things change
the more they remain
the same.
Mlondi Ndlovu is a budding poet and a writer, fresh from school, who seeks novelty with close attention to other African poets. He has been influenced deeply by the poetry of Makhosazana Xaba and Dagga Tolar. He has won numerous schools’ poetry and short story writing competitions including 21stPoetry Africa and 20thTime of the Writer.