LELIZINYANE ALISIYO IMBUZI Poem by Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali

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?"