the ball in the sky
is for nocturnal optimists
often full
never empty
sometimes bloody
it plays hide-and-seek
behind the earth
enters its shadow
umbra
penumbra
antumbra
umbrellas
for lunar gods
sometimes the blood
stains the sky
as if to say
nice try
but not even an eclipse
can hide a kill
Nkateko Masinga is an award-winning South African writer whose poetry has been translated into French, Bengali, Kannada and Tamil. Her latest poetry book, ‘Daughter Wound’, was published by Hazel Press in 2024