When It Hurts Poem by Babalwa Mbalula

Last night I lay and cried
I had to
I was hurting
Letting some of the pain go
Felt good
I might have looked like a weakling to
You but at least I got to let go
Of some of my pain
When I hurt I cry
It sounds immature to
Someone who does not
Know how to
But I’m proud to say I cried
I shed a tear for my lost brother
Whose body might be found in a dumpster?
I cried because I lost yet another sista to HIV/AIDS
I’m still crying and I have no idea when
It’s all going to stop
I am not going to stop
Until all this pain and suffering stops
But will it I ask my self
Will it ever stop?
Because the world outside is
A place where only the toughest survive
How many of us are tough?
How many have staying power?
I’ll cry until it stops
When all the hurt is gone
Only then will I stop