teach me not by Thabitha Marakalala

Thabitha Marakalala | March 7th, 2017 | a poem a day challenge | No Comments

Poet Bio

teach me not of the jews
their gods i refuse
teach me not of the west
rather let me in on how
they made my forefathers never rest
teach me not of their religions
paint in my soul my origins

tell me not of their past
when my roots fades in the mist
i care less of their language
it will not end my anguish
i care less of their cultures
since they await my death like vultures

let me not be a burden to this earth
please allow me not to struggle till death
teach me of the universe, of nature
so that my soul can endlessly mature
hide not to the face of the earth who i am
the scars on my ancestors’ skeletons are traces
of who i really am
you might not give a damn
but i wish to know who i really am

teach me not of your fears
tell me of the sun’s tears
talk to me about the lion Biko
tell me of the fearless Gadaffi
let me in about the great Sobukwe
forget not to mention Malcom X
tell me of the majestic Luther king
let me in on the great warrior Hani
forget not to mention the marvelous Marvin
remember the Godly DR Sebi
teach me of the great legends
who died for my black skin

teach me of my roots
my traditions, my customs, my spirit’s fruits
enslave my mind not
utter the truth
cause like the moon and the sun
in can’t be hidden for long
teach me not what is not of me…
/tab]

Poet Bio


i am a young woman from a small town in limpopo. i am a mother, a writer and a teacher with hopes and dreams of a better continent in future. my wish is that the south african curriculum would just change. our history should be tought so that we know of our origins and what is like to be african. now we all confused and a man without his origin/history is like a tree without its root. we should know ourselves as black people.

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