A YOUNG BOY'S DAY Poem by Julius Chingono

My mother goes collecting
all forms of plastic
like the wind
for sale.
After school
I stand
by the beer hall exit
selling loose cigarettes
to people who can afford them
one at a time.
The stench of beer
urine
and belching mouths
makes me sneeze.
But today
I mingle with drunks
like I'm playing
with my classmates
at school break.

I live in two worlds
that collide
every time mother cries
about my unpaid school fees.