Isabella Motadinyane Poems

Hush babe
walk tall
whistles here and there
smiling like the star
...

A cry
of come and see
our home is a home
of tears and bitterness
...

Ribbon hands
mama's little darling
decorative hands
the way she is lazy
...

Kana ka sega phefo
ka ralla dinaga
ka rakana le monna
are Yorkshire
England kwa moroba
tiro emo batla mabogo
ka e bona
ka e tshwantshanya
le small heaven
nare yena ke Yorkshire
tlogela botsoropa wena
bothakga gabo rekwe
banna ba kwa Tsetse Tsitsi
mesong ba sadisa dikobo
kwa Jo'burg
ba bolawa ke more kom
...

Paaha
tlong beso
paaha
tlong beso
ke nako ya ho hlaolo
ke nako ya kotulo
tlong re buisaneng
tlong ka kutlwano
paaha
tlong beso
paaha
tlong beso
selemo se thwasitse
babele a hodile
na le utlwile na
taba ketse monate
paaha
tlong beso
paaha
tlong beso
...

Hoshe ngwana
qata o qatoge
melodi kafa le fa
ngwana dikoti marameng
pososelo eka naledi
sefahlelo sone
botjhitja bo kgatlang mahlo
re bone mesebetsi ya hao
naheng mona
ba reng
o sekobo
ke baikaketsi
ba lese ba iphore jaalo
shine bright sunbeam
hoha
kana wena o motswa mantlha
qata o qatoge thope
shine bright sunbeam
hoshe thope
hoha
moo o fetileng
ho sala dinaledi
thebetha Mohlakwana
thebetha Mofokeng
re bone mesebetse ya hao
digaboi di dizzie ousie
slaat hulle giddy poppy
ba fehlile jwale
ba ho bapallang
...

Bonang wee
bonang yoo
lapeng laheso
ho tsikitsano ya meno
basadi ba kgelella dikeledi
bosiu le motsehare
tlopo kgubedu
kgoho a ntsho e kene
lapeng la heso
ngwana mme ntate
e qadile ka ntja ka ntle
a kobotile ho fihla leseeng
boning wee
bonang yoo
re tla bona re entse
jwang na
thepa e ile yohle
re fuma keledi tsa
mme wee ese ele pina.
...

I ran away
skipping the border
and met a man
who said Yorkshire
...

Paaha
come people
paaha
come people
...