Neighbour’s Dog Poem by Niki Nicholas Nkuna

Fear of the neighbour’s dog but not the bite,
Day and night, neighbourhood’s children’s play led by one eye,
The other one shepherd till days end,
Neighbour’s dog plays hard, skipping boundaries,
Perturbing the tranquillity of the neighbourhood at night,

Grandma’s story telling cut short by ritual,
Neighbour’s dog encroaching in the sanctity of grandma’s lapa,
Doom spell for the days to come,

Neighbour’s wish accomplished by the dawn of day to day
His unreciprocated smile sure to make him untouchable,
Famous and respected,
Fortunately, neighbour’s dog’s forays into the forbidden territory,
Became grandma’s story to be told in the absence of the restless dog,