Antonio Jacinto (Letter From A Contract Worker) Poem by African Poetry

Antonio Jacinto (Letter From A Contract Worker)

Rating: 3.6


I wanted to write you a letter
my love,
a letter that would tell
of this desire
to see you
of this fear
of losing you
of this more than benevolence that I feel
of this indefinable ill that pursues me
of this yearning to which I live in total surrender …

I wanted to write you a letter
my love,
a letter of intimate secrets,
a letter of memories of you,
of you
of your lips red as henna
of your hair black as mud
of your eyes sweet as honey
of your breasts hard as wild orange
of your lynx gait
and of your caresses
such that I can find no better here …

I wanted to write you a letter
my love,
that would recall the days in our haunts
our nights lost in the long grass
that would recall the shade falling on us from the plum
trees
the moon filtering through the endless palm trees
that would recall the madness
of our passion
and the bitterness
of our separation …

I wanted to write you a letter
my love,
that you would not read without sighing
that you would hide from from papa Bombo
that you would withhold from mama Kieza
that you would reread without the coldness
of forgetting
a letter to which in all Kilombo
no other would stand comparison …

I wanted to write you a letter
my love
a letter that would be brought to you by the passing wind
a letter that the cashews and coffee trees
the hyenas and buffaloes
the alligators and grayling
could understand
so that if the wind should lose it on the way
the beasts and plants
with pity for our sharp suffering
from song to song
lament to lament
gabble to gabble
would bring you pure and hot
the burning words
the sorrowful words of the letter
I wanted to write to you …

I wanted to write you a letter …
But oh my love, I cannot understand
why it is, why, why, why it is, my dear
that you cannot read
and I – Oh the hopelessness! – cannot write!

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Bharati Nayak 26 May 2017

I wanted to write you a letter … But oh my love, I cannot understand why it is, why, why, why it is, my dear that you cannot read and I – Oh the hopelessness! – can not write- - - A passionate write depicting a lover's frustration at not being able to express his emotions in words to reach to the beloved.- -

7 6 Reply

Love the poem especially the ending. Will add it to my favorites.

6 2 Reply
Veeraiyah Subbulakshmi 21 January 2016

1. the loneliness of migrant workers is brutally expressed and it had broken my heart. 2. The twist of the poem is good, but the meaning may haunt...

4 0 Reply
Osazee Dankaro 26 September 2016

The poem aptly expresses the frustration and hopelessness of being unable to share the depth of one's feelings to another person.

3 0 Reply
Madhabi Banerjee 04 November 2015

very well dipicted poem. excellent.

0 0 Reply
merapelo adam 09 September 2023

its simply breath taking

1 0 Reply
JOSEPHINE 26 January 2022

I LOVE IT GREAT WORK

0 0 Reply
Derrick 03 November 2021

Goodooo.....love it

0 0 Reply
Terkula Basil Uhule 16 October 2021

the main idea centers at the end of it

0 0 Reply
tateomzoo 20 September 2019

its good ohhhhh love I do love it

1 0 Reply
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