Mania in the Post-Colony - Siyanda Qoto

I.

It is the morning

that I dread.

Vaslap across the face

razor sharps

run riot on my head.

Masks - Michellan Sarile-Alagao

Mother goes out

with a mask on

buys fruit

comes home

says it is alright

see, we have santol

we eat the bitter lining

with salt

Grapes - Julius Chingono

Today I was fortunate

to stumble upon a vendor

sorting out grapes for sale.

Inside my Zulu hut - Oswald Mtshali

It is a hive

without any bees

to build the walls

with golden bricks of honey.

The Longest-Running Show on Television - Göran Printz-Pählson

The longest-running show on television

Is the one in which the moderator is also the chairman of The board of your company.

Cactus - Bantu Mwaura

Sand,

Dater-less, and

Dry, drry

Dust

That's the environ

Cattle Egret - Okot p' Bitek

My children gather stars

Into their soft songs

And woo the young moon

With their white teeth.

Number 106 - Imtiaz Dharker

We are waving to you from up here,

from the fourth floor to say

don’t worry about us, we are fine.

Where am I? - Parveen Shakir

Where am I

in your life?

In This World Where We Forget - Fernando Pessoa

In this world where we forget

we are shadows of who we are,

and the true expressions we form

in that other where, souls, we live,

are here grimaces and signs.