onalethuso petruss ntema (27/02/1985 / Maun, Botswana)

...a moment of silence
then i heard a voice
from afar in silence
a voice of a family in silence
the very same voice
of no choice
in silence
secretly cries
and smiles
a tear of violence
a tear
that struck my heart
in silence
for this violence
weeps no guidance
in a family of violence
on the same
pattern of silence
to a woman,
(a man)
and a child of violence
in silence

a pain from her faces
i could tell
a joy not in any traces
they dwell
still in the very same
pattern of silence
glued and trapped
in moments of violence
but this silence
is the pattern of violence
and the violence
is silently
silent in silence
heard from the roofs
somewhere
clipping their mouths
in pain; not a word to say
anyway,
for hush is the order
of the very same way
to each little voice
in silence
today
but same way

and, who to tell
nor cry a comfort
to this pattern
of silence
of some sort
to cross
a pattern
of violence
not in silence
but in guidance?

need not a pain
to humble this silence
but a gain to stumble
this violence
by openly come to pass
this violence
not in silence
but of one sense
for a sense
in the same pattern
to sense
in different but one sense
to silence
and end
this violence

for these,
are patterns of silence
in violence
from peace
in the home
to peace
in the one
world of our own
a treasure of one
piece of a stone
to the next other
piece of a stone
patterned on the same
different pattern
of violence
in silence

opn13032013/1333

poem: 'patterns of silence in violence'
book: 'dry eyes'
year: march 2013

original version: 'patterns of violence'
book: patterns of life
year: 30nov2011