Xhosa People

Ababantu balumnkile, bachubekile, bakhaliphile, bahlakaniphile, banobuntu,banononophelo, banothando, banomqolo, banovelwano, bathobekile, impucuko ayibalibalisi ukuba bangoobani, bayahlonipha, bazithembile, ababhanxeki kwaye ababhanxekanga, abahleki nokuba into ayihlekisi, banomoya ophantsi, aboyiki ngakoyikiswa, abothuki kwaye abothuswa ngenyoka efileyo kuba kuzeke ibulewe ngabo, abalumi bevuthela...xa beluma bayaluma ke qha, bafundisiwe ngobuni nenkcubeko yabo abadidekanga, amafokofoko abadibani nawo, abavele bathethe njee...abaphuhluki...abakhamisi batyhale... bayaqiqa. The productive, prosperous, roaring, sure-fire or successful ones all have one thing in common...the above mentioned character and moooore characteristics.

Lament Of A Street Kid

Are you my friend or my enemy?

Do you hear my tears rumble down my cheecks?

Or duck away from my flashy smile.

Do you give me a shelter or a house?

Let me lie in peace at night

Or make your moves while I doze off to my nightmares.

I have never laughed nor felt the love of a mother

I have always longed for the protection of a father

All I ever know is to run for cover

Run for cover as if I am a thief,

A thief running away from the cops.

My life has been characterised by pain and suffering,

Lack of belonging and protection.

I have never managed to say mom or dad

For they thought I was rotting away in the dustbin,

Maybe they killed the poor woman who heard my cry and came closer.

I was never destined to live on the streets, but the streets found me

The people chase me like a skunk and take in stray dogs and cats.

I also wish I could wash the smell off me, but where do I go?

The pavement is so comfortable a bed might feel like a feather.

The passing cars are my alarm clock.

I have always looked at the stars at night and wonder if they feeling lonely

And every time I do their bright light bring tears to my eyes.

Tears that remind me of the loneliness I felt in the dustbin,

The dustbin that I now rely on for food

The irony of life, the dustbin gave me shelter and now gives me food.

Are you my friend or my enemy?

Me, too have a heart to love and the mind to think

A chance is what I have been denied
I know I am not your friend, but come closer let’s talk

I am not numb nor dumb don’t rub me off like my mom

I love her though, she could have aborted me.

Find her and tell her I am alive well... C-More!

A PAEAN FOR THE WOMAN I LOVE

Your partisanship towards me... your bounteous loving nature... your soft heart

You’re the only woman who can disturb my equanimity...

You never adopted any impostures...

I always suffer from a sense of “gaiety” when you’re around...

(“Gaiety” I detest the Queen’s lingo)

Your beauty is much deeper than just your face

May the Almighty keep you sparkling like pellucid water, running shallow and wide...

You are my “phenomenal one”

Am I in love with you or do I love you...?

Ziphina izazi... inkcubabuchopho... iinqgondi...amaciko

uZotsho uthabathekile...mpela, uMaqholo uncuma yedwa, ubuthongo abehli ku Ndutane

My love for you is one of the most grotesque feelings I’ve ever felt...

Manci is your loving man...come get some!

Black People

My people! My people...Black! What does the word black mean..."Being of the achromatic colour of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light".

That is definately not our complexion.
Being referred to (by the colour-blind ones) as black is absolutely immaterial.
They could have referred to us as Lilac people for all I care...
That still wouldn't have defined me or what I am about.

In my mother-tongue (isiXhosa) black and white did not exist (when it comes to distinguishing people using their complexion) until direct translation came along.
We knew abantu, abelungu, amalawu, amakula njalo-njalo.
One can refer to my complexion anyway he wants, but that does not define me at all.
I'm "black" not "white" just like Cape town weather is deferent from Joburg's...just like French seasons are different from South Africa's... just like a Boxer is different from a Bull Terrier... just like...

"I'm an African".