Page 28 - LockDown Poetry
P. 28
-------- lockdown poetry --------
Unsafe at home.
Bongiwe N Zulu
His young eyes witness a rare sighting,
Mama is not at work.
The adults murmur something about a Virus.
Mama is home.
Malume is home too, he always is.
He wonders if he and malume will play their game.
That strange game that always ends with malume making
noises.
He said every little boy plays it with their uncle.
Except, mama must never know.
It’s a man’s game.
If you don’t wince, you’re tough.
If you lay still till it’s done, you’re strong.
Mama is home.
Her eyes are red, maybe she is missing baba
He’s in Heaven, that’s what he was told.
People don’t return from Heaven.
Maybe prison is better than Heaven.
Wasn’t malume in prison before?
He came home.
He stays home.
Mama works,
But not today, she is home.
At six years old he feels a rare emotion.
He can’t put a name to it
Mama's presence feels good though her eyes look sad.
He and malume will not play their game.
27
