Nontobeko Dlamini Poems

I am desert, desert of memories,
Like golden artifacts, memories
Precious buried on the sand forever traveling.
...

Agony is the breeze,
That constantly
Through my skin pierce.
When the night is young,
...

The last days, old and frail.
When death's lullabies lure me in
And the tears kiss the ground no more
But grey cloudy eyes, and yes!
...

From where the sun rises,
As black as charcoal
A veil in heaven covers
The glowing face in the sky,
...

Tell me,
Oh, tell me please!
Dont deny me
The eloquence of thy incantation,
...

Paralysis like the bite of a viper
Without mercy
Holds you prisoner
And traps you in its web
...

Great Ancestor!
The mighty fig tree on the fields.
They say they want to behead her
For her shade kills the maize crops.
...

Standing outside
She can smell
The cool air seeping through her nose
Gladly feeling the intoxicating
...

Tears have welled in the
chambers of my eyes
From the years gonebye sorrow
Like rain doth collects in ponds on a summer rain
...

Branches dance to the soft
rhythm of the wind
Old worn out leaves
Float away to the ground
...