South Africa Daughter Of Two Minds! Poem by Bongiwe Ndlovu

Oh you schizophrenic daughter of the brown soil. You smile to the world welcoming it on your door steps but never welcoming her into your living room. You know you have dirt and what the world sees as unacceptable. You wave to the world and you let your granddaughters and sons to smile to the camera like nothing is wrong all seems well with your soul.

Oh daughter of two minds, that never work together but seems to look at each other. Your children living together but yet divided. I want you to make up your mind and let the songs that you sing be true. You. Lie to the world and tease it with your laughter and you dance and you pretend to go on your knees when all seems blurry and not pleasing to the soul but we know that all you do is rejoice on your own misery when no one is looking.

You paint a colourful picture that every country desires, you call it a rainbow nation and you tell the world of your paintings that never go on sale. South Africa, you are a mother to twins that came from the same stomach but separate wombs and the division that seems to end seems to bring tears in your eyes. You birthed the children that bring shame and embarrassment to you with every word that they utter out of anger. You birthed the children out of conciousness. They seem to enjoy to see the cracks in your face and your beat up wounds with no kiss to heal them. How I wonder how long you can hold it down. When you know that you are dying on the inside and raise a flag with a smile, when you know you are about to break down.

I wish we can stand by the fire and sing the songs of celebration and freedom, but I can't because I tend to be a prisoner in my mother's house, I have become another slave with a classy look. I have to realise my colour, standards and class, I have know how to rate myself with every step I take, how I wish we can get you a treatment you schizophrenic daughter of the brown soil. And yet again I stand and ask....How long are you gonna keep it up South Africa! ! !