As a child,
I refused to wear shoes
And kept cursing sharp stones
They said my hair was too untamed, too wild,
Whispers too loud
that lands shook when they felt my presence.
I could always
Hear the spirits in the woods,
Roaring and chanting
Healing to ears calm enough to listen.
Pelonomi Itumeleng is a South African author. Her works include poetry, short stories and children’s stories. Her publications are in South Africa and abroad.