Soulfire Experience

Siphiwe ka

Description

From Soweto, from the hilltops of initiation, Siphiwe ka Ngwenya adopts the mantle of Killjoy, dissecting our liberation, questioning our infatuations, baptizing us in the juicy waters of procreation. �Dance, Africa!� he cries, before hitting Hillbrow pavements parading brothels, singing for children whose anger and haste cannot be measured or bulldozed, singing for workers who brave themselves from darkness to darkness while the drumbeat serenades and bass strums compassionate, and then stroking the morning dew, turning poverty into fiction, cuddling loneliness, nakedness entangling with passion while commanding us to rise! to celebrate!

Sujets

• Littérature Africaine
• Littérature Africaine
• Poetry
• African

Informations

• Publié par: Botsotso Publishing
• Date de parution: 17 novembre 2005
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781990922282
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 8 Mo

Extrait

Soulfire Experience

Siphiwe ka Ngwenya

Illustrations by Ike Mboneni Muila

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First published in 2005 by Botsotso Publishing

Box 30952 Braamfontein 2017, South Africa

© in the text: Siphiwe Ka Ngwenya © in the illustrations: Ike Mboneni Muila

ISBN: 0-620-34877-1

Many of these poems have been previously published in anthologies and journals such as We Jive Like This, Dirty Washing, Purple Light Mirror in the Mud (CD), Timbila, new Coin, Mother Tongues, Tribute, Jikeleza Train, Essential Things and Botsotso.

The poet wishes to thank the National Arts Council of South Africa for funding this book.

Cover photograph: Cedric Nunn

Cover and text design and layout: Anna Varney

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Contents

Simple life Bella Kliptown Shantytown Prelude Untitled Killjoy Fantasy Hillbrow Natural Initiation Obsessed We jive like this Ukushona kwelanga Meli I think of you (chant 2) Begging Let me sing a song Melody to melody Dance Africa Psyche Lamentation Soweto Suicide Spirits Mob attack (for Yubi) I have buried thousands Poetry shall be no more For us Ngane kaMa The blues I love (know) Uyinqab’uMvelinqagi Creativity Nostalgia (Botswana) To celebrate is a must Mad Tracing the rainbow Candlelight

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5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 15 17 19 21 22 25 26 28 30 33 35 37 38 39 40 43 44 46 49 50 52 54 55 56 58 84 85 86

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Simple life

the joyful cry of a baby in the hall stirs my soul your sweet scent tickles & intoxicates every part of me rejuvenates my senses my heart dances be mine & let us together drink from the same river.

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Bella

(Kosesishiyile u-ISABELLA MOTADINYANE)

Qhawekazi lakwaMotadinyane Amany’amagam’ayoshabalala Kodw’elakho liyohlala ngunaphakade ekujuleni kwemicabango yethu Wena gugu lamagugu ngobugagu bakho

Izwi lakho eliwumzwilili we-BLUES Liyohlala lintyiloza okwenyoni ezindlebeni zami Lingithi gidi isibindi emphefumulweni wami Ngiswele amagam’aqotho najulil’awokuthopha Kawufanga ulele ngoba igama lakho kaliphel’ezindebeni zethu

Uma ngicabanga ngawe gagu le-Botsotso kuhlengezel’umvimbi wezinyembezi uwelele kwelaphansi,uwelele kwelikaMvelinqangi Siyohlala sikukhumb uuulaaa! Thokoza!

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Kliptown Shantytown

Kliptown Shantytown dreams silenced by the morning train footsteps of running commuters

Kliptown Shantytown the sky loses its brains in torrents it starts to rain people use tables as boats

Kliptown Shantytown when day is young women wash clothes down the river children swim like îsh in dirt

Kliptown Shantytown factory machines cease workers return home like cattle to ghetto smoke and kisses of longing

Kliptown Shantytown frogs croak crickets chirp children snore and nakedness entangles with passion till dawn... till dawn... till dawn...

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Prelude

i try in vain to reject my feelings i wander in the wilderness without any healing words slip from the grip of my lips like wet soap in my hands.

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