Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali

The rays of the sun
are like a pair of scissors
cutting the blanket
of the dawn from the sky.
...

I wonder this, pigeons in the Oppenheimer Park
are never arrested and prosecuted for trespassing
on private property and charged public indecency.
...

Where have
all the angry young men gone?
Gone to the Island of Lament for Sharpville.
Gone overseas on scholarship.
...

Glorious is this world
The world that sustains man
like a maggot in a carcass.
...

I get up in the morning
and dress up like a gentleman -
A white shirt, a tie and a suit.
...

Imisebe yelanga
ifana nembaxambili yesikelo
sisika isibhalala
sentathakusa esibhakabhakeni.

Umalusi omncane
uqhuba izimvu zikabasi wakhe
ezikhipha esibayeni
ezelukela eqeleni.

Izinyawo zakhe ezingacathulelwanga
zikhahlela utshani
zichithe amazolo
njengamadayimani
esetafuleni lomsiki.
Izinyane lidukela kude
likhangwe ubukhazikhazi
basekuseni behlobo;
Inqama
ithethisa imvukasi
"Mfazi! Mfazi!
Qaphela ingane!"

Ilanga lishaya amaphiko
ezihlandla ezivutha salangabi
likajongilanga.

Uqhwakela esidulini sezintuthwane
ukushaya igekle lomhlanga,
ashayele indesheni
izingane zomlimi
ziya esikoleni
abuze sengathi uyaphupha,
"Maye! Wesihlakaniphi seLanga laphezulu,
Uyongiqhuba nini
nami ngiye esikolweni na?"
...

Utshani buluhlaza njengomati
ohlotshiwe ngezimbali zamazama
abomvu njengamalangabi eklobeni.
Ibentshi lasephaki, libusisiwe,
liqukethe ulova olalele
Ukuhuba kwesiyalu
Esichela amanzi ayiqcwele
Esiqumbini samakholwa angamajuba

"Ungasondeli otshanini,
Izinja ezingaxhaniwe zinqatshelwe."

Nangoke "umisisi" ehambisa ipikinisi yakhe
ebhavile yase iqholwa ngamakha.
Inuka ubuso buka saziso "Ungasondeli"
ngekhala elibanda njengenhlanzi eseqhweni
ishaya indesheni ngomlenze wangemumva
isishiye simpongoloza ngokuthu
kuthela nehlazo.
...

Ngiyamangala ukuthi
kungani lamajuba asePakini kaOppenheimer
engaboshwa ashushiswe
ebiyelwe ngumnikazi wayo abekwe icala lamanyala.
Malanga wonke ngibona lezinyoni ezidelelayo
ziqhwakele.

Phezu kwezihlalo zaba
"Mhlophe Kuphela" zishayindiva yonke imithetho.
Aziwazi na uMthetho oHlukanisa ngeBala?
Iphoyiso elimhlophe lithe dli inyufomu
lagaxa enkohlombeni ivolovolo i.38 iSpesheli
lizithele ngabandayo
lingapakamisi nomunwe ogxeka
izoni eziphula mthetho.
Azihleli nje kuphela kulezihlalo ezicwebile
zizingcolisa ngamashimba ezinyoni.

Hawu! Nkambisa eyiNgcwele
akenibheke lawayana amabili
asegongomeni
wezimpala ezeqayo
ziyakhwelana phambi komisisi, nomadakeni,
namantombazane agigithekayo
asemahhovisi
Ngabe uqondephi lomhlaba na?
Uphi uMthetho oCwebile
wobuMsulwa na? Phu! Susa amanyala.
...

Ashonephi
amabhunu athukuthele na?
Ashone esiQhingini sokuLIla ngenxa yeSharpeville.
Ayephesheya ngesifundaze.
AyeNyakatho obisini noju lwenkululeko.
Aye enjeni yophuzo nokuphelelwa
Ithemba.

Izolo ngihlangene nelinye esitolo sezicwadi
Belivukuza lifuna ukudla kwengqondo
Okuvela kuJames Baldwi, Amiri Baraka
Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre.
Belifake ibhokathi ephuphile nejezi elinohlonze
Lingibigelele ngokuthi
"Yisho! Mfowethu!"
Lafunda esikoleni semishini esemaphandleni
Lapho laphuma linkonkoshele ilosali
njengesiphandla sokuvika
"Abamhlophe kuphela!"

Labhalisa eNyuvesithi yeMpilo
ezindlu zokufundela zingamashibhini
Amawadi esibhedlela nezitokisi.

Laphuma ngeminyezane ephezulu
nomqiqingo wolwazi ukuthi:
"Angikwazi ukubamnyama ngiqonde nto
Kulomhlaba omhlophe omagwincigwinci

"Uma ngikhuluma iqiniso
"Uma ngikhuluma amanga
Nginyanyeka kabi.
"Uma ngingasho lutho
Angiqondakali.
"Uma ngimoyizela ukujabulisa
Angilutho ngaphadle ngesithunzela.

"Sengiqoke umbholoho njengokolo lwami
lapho uDuk Ellington, Count Basie,
Louis Armstrong njengabaFundisi bami abaPhakeme

"Angisalugcobhi unyawo esontweni
Lapho umfundisi esengilahle isitakla

"Intshumayelo yakhe iyisihlahla
esibolayo soqhwakelo
oyoshanyelelwa kude le.
"Umoya onamandla ovunguza
ngokungabaza noku ngakholwa.
"Umfazi wami nezingane bangakhonza khona lapho
Bafuna okuya ezulwini umabefa.
Angifuni mina ukuya ezulwini sengifile
"Ngifuna elami izulu manje
lapha emhlabeni eHothoni nasePakitawini
Isithimuthimu sendlu
Izimoto ezimbili noma ezeqile lapho
Nezisebezi ezihlala zimamatheka.
Akusilo na izulu lelo?"
...

Udunyisiwe lomhlaba
Umhlaba owondla umuntu
Njengesibungu esidunjini.

Lunamandla ulwandle
oluvovwe itswayi wuqhembu
esweni lenhlanzi.

Icwebile inkanyezi
egqamile emkhathini,
imbade esiswini sesibhakabhaka gebhezi.

Ngobukhosi ukhozi
lwenyuka ngamaphiko egolide
phezu kwempilo ephansi.

Umnyama umgodi wembongi,
Imvukuzane evukuza ingekho
intunja yokungena nentuba yokuphuma.
...

Ngivuka ekuseni
ngigqoke njengenene -
Ihembe elimhlophe, uthayi, nensudi.

Ngihamba esitaladini
Bese ngihlangabezwa indoda
engitshela ukuthi "khiqiza."

Ngiyikhombisa
Ubhukwana wempilo yami
Ukuthi ucwaningwe bese inginika ukuqekuza.

Besengingena emnyango omkhulu webhilidi
ngithole indlela ivalwe ngunogada
"Ufunani?"

Ngiphaquza imisinga yedolobhakazi
uhlangothi nohlangothi no "misisi"
ogudluzela isikhwama sakhe ngakolunye,
angibheke ngamehlo athi
"We! Klibhi! Ngiyakwazi ukuthi ungubani;
ngaphansi kwalezosingubo zikanokusho
kuncencetha inhliziyo yesela."
...

The grass is the green mat
trimmed with gladioli
red like flames in the furnace.
...