[tabs tab1=”Man Forged Manacles” tab2=”Speak Freedom” tab3=”Speak Freedom” tab4=”tab 4″]
The definition of black:
being of the achromatic colour
of maximum darkness;
having little or no hue owing to the absorption
of almost all incident of light.
“Being”: in existence of,
not despite of,
in spite of
existing as the embodiment of an absence.
“Absorption”: an active taker,
leeching and bleeding,
removing,
being without,
sine qua non.
Marked by anger,
resentment or hostility,
black looks,
black words,
as black as coal,
offering little or no hope,
the negative,
taking,
removing,
absent and enveloped.
[restrict]Stemming from evil characteristics,
forces,
wickedness most dishonourable,
black lies,
black needs,
“His black heart has concocted yet another black deed.”
The definition of white:
being of the achromatic colour
of maximum lightness;
having little or no hue
owing to the reflection of
almost all incident of light.
“Being”: in existence of,
independent of dependence,
despite being a constituent of.
“Reflection”: deflecting
and rejecting,
hostile in its own rights,
autonomy,
singularity,
necessary is mechanisms of sight.
Free from moral blemish,
to be unsullied,
pure, or right. “
Glowing white with heat”,
absent of resent,
benevolent,
to be without malicious intent.
Blank,
clean,
no bounds in hope,
peace and purity,
possessing endless scope.
“A white Christmas”,
snow white,
“an angelic hue”.
Good deeds,
“Nigger, please,
that’s mighty white of you.”
The word
connotes, denotes,
defines and refines,
no,
confines to our mind the symbol,
the sign,
that points to something other than itself.
Despite metaphor
we confer and concur
that the word is “who I am”
and “who I’ve become”
and this battle of the skin
is lost and won in rhetoric.
“Apologise for who we made you to be”,
said the world,
and as the serpent words slither forth,
with coils that unfurl,
it begins to clinch and lynch,
arresting in our throats the songs of freedom.
With songs that have been sung
and lexis that seem glum,
we try to lighten our heritage of
“achromatic colour of maximum darkness.”
With the word it starts
and with the word it ends,
and we start this cycle,
again and again,
and in god we trust,
and in words we bespoke,
the need to unbound,
from the shackles we wrote.
Our Father
Who art in heaven?
Hollowed be your name.
Your kingdom has come.
Your will is done.
On Earth
We believe
In our own Heaven.
Gives us this day
Our daily bread!
And
Forgive us,
Mere trespassers,
As we righteously forgive those who trespassed against us.
And lead us not.
We need temptation.
Deliver us some evil
For in thine kingdom,
We claim power and glory
Forever and ever.
Hear the word of Man.
Opened mouth,
arrested speech,
fallacy of freedom,
and silences preached.
Contented no more,
behind closed doors,
we protest in silence,
through gritted remorse.
Speaking masks,
that hide our souls,
we atone no more,
with the self we withhold.
Inculpable beings,
with purpose infirm,
ghostly morality,
and hearts that are spurned.
But to one day feel aesthetic bliss,
to feel no remorse for our imposed curse,
we wilfully take on our sordid boon,
the right to speak, believe, consume.
[/restrict]
[tab id=4]Chad Brevis was a Masters student of English Literature at The University of the Western Cape with training in Ethical theory and Linguistics, and an MA in Human Rights from ISS, in The Hague. His MA focuses on taboo topics in literature. A particular focus is spent on the banning of literature. Currently, he is a PhD student in Linguistics doing a full dissertation on “Freedom of Speech and the rise of “hacktivism” culture. During his undergraduate and Honours, he worked as a tutor for the Department of Religion and theology. He currently tutors in the Department of English.
this article was published in our print quarterly number seven, Words.
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