Nja Tša Satane1 Poem by Marota Aphane

They chased
The law-abiding lamb
In the field
Down the streams
Up the hills
Nja tša satane
Who failed to catch
The goats
That stole the corn.

The lamb was cornered
Strapped naked
Devoured
With red eyes burning hatred
& panting death-for-certain
They vanished.

How much she ran
How much the law stared her down.

She uttered a word
& one of the them, the law
Suffering from incurable verbal-diarrhoea
Poured rotten words
On her confused head
& pierced her heart with sharp-needled-laughter
Leaving her bloody-wet
& gasping for breath,
The law-abiding lamb left
Feeling light like a feather.

Nja tša satane
They thought
She is finished
But her heart remained
Beating… and beating… and beating…

1. The devil’s dogs