The African Perspective Poem by Koketso Nonyane

Listening to whistles of blue cranes
blues in sweet sunset african melodies
Takes my mind back to the mindless flow
of rivers flowing slow
Almost as slow as southern winds
Breezing in cape winter deserts

It dates back to ancient periods
of the dirty dance
when superiors hunted warriors who hunted soldiers of lions
Skinning them until they have no chance
When grandmothers could smell
the heat of sunlight
While sitting on grey stones,
cooking african beer
Oh mamamia
so much moist memories
for an african boy
who's body was born today
but the mind breathes air breathe by Oumas and Oupas before the time of the dompass

Remember the time before the compass?
When we were directed by sight of smoke
And sound of drums
And you could hardly hum
Because the air was erupting
in emotion

When tribes killed animals for tripe
And not for their horns
can we nurture nature
And our animals do not injure?
Hold each other's hands
Like brother and sister?

When we want to be
free
It starts with the posture of that tree
And the smile of our smiling sun
and the patience
Of our ever precious clouds
When we want to be free
Just let go
And just be
Africa belongs to us
You and me