Fame and fortune, I am.
Masses flock to find favour from me.
Known for my greatness and splendour
filled with valued paper,
like a chameleon trapping its food, so am I,
the masses are mine.
I find favour from kings and escape my
misdemeanours,
I neutralise the weak and the meek.
Off I go, like a dove, set free.
I am the king of the streets.
Til’ the day it all went down.
I forsook favour from the masses.
My riches like dew sees sun, I saw no more.
Musawenkosi Wiseman Nyembe is a Master of Education graduate from the University of Pretoria. His interest in English is literature, especially poetry. As a result, his research study is focused on the challenges faced by learners when studying poetry in English first additional language. His love for literature was instilled by the sight of his mother who read IsiZulu literature for enjoyment. Upon seeing his mother reading, he was inspired to be a reader, a poet and short story writer. At a young age, he developed love for English literature and then studied to become a teacher with majors in English language and Psychology. He is currently a school teacher and departmental head of English first additional language in senior and FET phases. He is also a member of the FET English FAL professional learning community of his district and he is involved in the assessment of English FAL for a cluster of schools in Soweto. Musawenkosi is passionate about literature, the symbolism used in it and always links symbols in literature with reality.