Vignettes of a South African Township called Mdantsane

Friday, January 8, 2010

Siviwe, Poems of Mdantsane

Photobucket

so much has changed
there is no longer the bush war nor
the beatings
siviwe only remembers a sky that staged
a sudden coup
on his dreams and disparity
the sky
the sun
and the overgrown road looks different now
he thinks of the stars
what was once promised to him
his proud khakis still in his shack
tries to stop
a bleeding
river.

Drawing and Poem by Amitabh Mitra

3 comments:

  1. Hi Doc. When I first looked at the drawing I thought it was Chief Albert Luthuli, the first African peace Nobel Laureate. Lovely poem with trappings of the Apartheid era which few of the oppressed would like to remember. I urge you to continue with your sterling work as it is an important chapter you bring out in the grand book of township life in South Africa...

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  2. Thanks a lot Ravi
    The world knows about Soweto but nothing about Mdantsane which is the second biggest township after Soweto.
    This coffee table book richly illustrated would be the first of its kind exposing life in Mdantsane.

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  3. हर जंग जीतने पर
    ख़ुशी मिले ज़रूरी तो नहीं
    नाम की भूख में
    दोस्तों से बिछुड़ने का
    गम भी अकेले सहना है
    घाव भर जाते हैं
    पर उनके निशान
    अपनों की याद दिलाते हैं

    " देवेन्द्र शर्मा "

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