To my Pain
You never told me to unchain my soul
You never told me to ignite my spirit;
To make your pleasure my sole goal
Or empty my world and pour you in it
There never was any warning of your treachery
Neither did the elements, your deeds foretell
You were cold and clinical – a piece of machinery
Irredeemable I stood without roots – oh, I fell.
Your mocking eye and scolding tongue brandished me
The tales of your mastery then flew in from over and beyond
My error was bought with my heart as the fee
And tied I became to this shylock bond
Even if I knew of your prowess
Your power to maim the innocent
To an eternity of your love, I did confess
And saw not your dung nor picked its scent.
Against all odds – and many they were – I gave me
To an eternity of darkness
Of many memories this shall be
But never again shall I partake in this – your madness!
Five times has it occurred
And five shall it be
Never shall I again be the drink offering poured
On my soul, never again shall we see
On the alter of my soul’s peace and growth
Shall you be sacrificed, this is my oath!
You were the root of my love
And the source of my pain;
The puzzle I never did solve;
The peace I never gained
Available ini print from Book Lover’s Market, The Book Lounge (Cape Town), Adams (Durban) and our sales man in Durban Menzi Maseko