Singabantwana bomgquba
Abavutha ensikeni okwentuthu yempepho
ngehora lomkhuleko
Lapho ukukhanya bugudluza ubumnyama ngendluzula.
Sibhuqwabhuqwa yindlala
Sinethemba lokuthi ngelinye ilanga
Amathambo ethu ayophenduka umqhele waphakade
Oyomiswa njengegobongo lomfula nempophoma
Lapho umhlaba usigwinye wasutha esami isalukazi
Silele kobandayo sithumela imikhonzo ezulwini
Njengezinkedama zakwethu emathuneni
Zithwele umthwalo zibuyela emasisweni
Zibheke esibhakabhakeni
Zithi,
Thina esafela ezinkalweni
Namanje sisadukuza ebumnyameni
Nisikhumbule nathi emkhulekweni
We are children of cowpats
Burning at the pillar like incense
At the hour of prayer
When the light aggressively chases darkness
We are impoverished
We pin our hopes that one day
Our bones will be made into crowns
That shall be made into shells of waterfalls and river sticks.
When the earth has swallowed my grandmother
When she lays, and sends regards to heaven
Like the deserted orphans
Carrying loads of burdens ,returning home
Looking into the sky
Saying ,
We, who died in the veld
We are still wandering in darkness
Remember us too, in the hour of prayer.
Noluthando Mkhungo is a 24-year-old poet from Margate, KwaZulu-Natal. She holds a diploma in Human Resources Management from the University of Johannesburg; where she also enjoyed poetry mentoring by Quaz Roodt under UJ Arts Academy. She is a recent graduate of Poetry under Current State of Poetry.
She has featured in an ebook called Mirrors: a series of surviving vol. 1.
She is a healer, hair artist and aspiring model. She is currently exploring IsiZulu spiritual poetry.