During the light
Of the night
We hide under
The moons’ shade,
We dare not to
Move because
The stars have
Eyes too,
A sign of our
Presence might
Shake the sky
Open with lightning
And render
Us blind,
The spark on
God’s face
Is too bright for
Our heathen eyes,
So we wait
For the sun
To rise as
High as the
Mountains
We have never
Went beyond,
So that we can
Hide underneath
Our own shadows
Our skin
Is a sin
It was never
Made to be seen,
The curse
Of this brown
Thing called
Black
Siphiwe Hlongwane is an avid reader and writer of poems. Some of his work has been published on Praxis magazine online and Poetry Portion. He resides in Johannesburg, South Africa.