The Dance of Agency by Charl Landsberg

Charl Landsberg | February 6th, 2023 | poetry | No Comments

Poet Bio

The townsfolk tied strings and strands,
to a child’s feet and hands.
They made the child march and pray,
and said, “Look, that child is a puppet.”

And when that child cut the strings,
“I will dance and say my own things.”-
the townsfolk threw the child onto the fireplace.
“Witchcraft!” “Faggot!” “Tranny!”

So the child danced as flames twisted.
For a brief moment that child’s body,
was the brightest thing in that village,
that had ever existed.

And when the darkness returned,
the townsfolk fumbled around in the dirt-
blaming the child for no longer burning bright,
robbing them of their dwindling light.

Poet Bio

Charl Landsberg is a South African poet, artist, and musician.

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