Eyeball To Eyeball Poem by Sarah Mkhonza

Let us tell each other truths we fear,
eyeball to eyeball and remember the year
the cobra stood facing us head up and ready to spit into our eyes and say we
both cannot stand being in the same space.
Nobody will rejoice when the spit hits their iris.

We do not need nuclear war to declare winners. At this place where forehead
of each bull hits the other, peace talks
run in us like blood. Let the bullfight
not derail a train so long on a lifesaving
journey. We will not tire for fear of
being those who remain to tell a lifetime
story of being late at the arena.

Eyeball to eyeball we can pull two bulls
by the tail and leave the bullfight
without spectators. Let us refuse to be
called to watch this spectacle of words,
lest it becomes real.






are face to face throwing nuclear words
int