Amy

You ran so quick
So we could learn to fly
Sang so loud
You raised a piano from the dead

Your hell was here
Stuck between demons
And now you are a gospel
With so much life in your death

You are the angel
That learned to fly so early
It broke it's wings
And now we are all masters

The beat is not the same
Your voice is missing
And your shadow lingers in our hearts
For you sang our hearts out

John Mabila

I don't know you
I dont remember you
But the smoke and the dust
flying high up on the stage
as you strung your guitar
and with a vibrance of youth
wow our ears with ecstatic mellodies

We learned nothing
but we danced until dawn
far away from our troubles
and childhood blues
entangled in your melodic tales

Loner

Walk walk walk
dry earth patches
some frown
some smile

Green leaves are no more
but sweet memories
the path long walked
the only fresh sight

Talk talk talk
silence is the loudest
birds, rivers and fires
rushing in silence

Only a mind left
to stare at the self
there is no sunshine
there is no teary rain

Walk walk walk
backward, forward.
its a silent song
sung or not

Phiphidi, dare you cry for me

Phiphidi, dare you cry for me
It was always a love full of hate
bitter sweet childhood memories
and sad days when we parted.

Yours was an ugly love
though you loved endlessly
much love you took from us
only to leave us stuck in solitude.

The sun is yet to stand still
it rises on the hills of Tshandau
How I loath your fiery red-lit sunsets
Hopefully you don't remember me

Phiphidi, you are a lie
and if you see my people
toiling to tell their weary tales
Say to them, 'I killed him'.

67

Funny how we still don't know you
Some say it took 67 years
All i hear is bleak weary stories
Racism and plunder not yet a memory

If I close my eyes for 67
Will you at least let me see
What freedom is
For still, i have no idea

'Tshwane' still called 'Pretoria'
Marikana mines owned in Britain
Miners fell there for a decent wage
Murderers still getting rewarded

Will i live to be 67
See freedom in my life time
or will Steyn City grow bigger
and Diepsloot much colder

Only from the brown bottle
I saw my father embrace you
No wonder streets are the same
Still stuck in the mute pursuit
of aspirations from 1948

Tonight

Tonight, a dark cloud gathers

pregnant with untold sorrows

a nightmare ready to breathe

Tonight, love is when we burn.

our weakness and imperfections,

growing larger than our breathe

Tonight, you hold on to forever

As it slowly turns into trauma

seeing your soul reeling in agony.

Tonight, Can we love?

till  we wash away at the crack of dawn

become piercing memories of darkness

Only girls are raped

mommy mommy
was Mpho a girl?
how come you say Mpho is a boy

What is the meaning of your question
Who told you Mpho was a girl

mommy i know Mpho was a girl
Mpho was raped, the teacher told us
Mpho was murdered, my friends told me

Rape and murder dont make him a girl
Mpho was a boy, got raped and murdered

mommy i heard on radio i saw on television
Only girls are raped
Only girls are murdered in South Africa

Marikana

ratatatataatatata ta tata ta
Sounds the mighty of an army
'Concomitant' action ought to be taken
The fate of miners in Marikana is written

The Comrade is calling, or is it an email?
But the Police Minister is listening
The Police Commissioner must act
Nobody listens to the miners

Miners like Shaka and Makhado
Carry nothing but spears and daggers
Lonmin has a friend in the rulers
Its army is the state police
Armed with tax payers money

Ratatatatattatatatata atatata at ta ta
Sounds of ammunition
Sounds of death
Miners on the ground
Sounds of wailing grounds
Life Wretched

Lonmin you are a murderer
Tax Payers, we have killed
Mr President your hands are red

Shaka Zulu
Makhado
Sekhukhune
African warriors
Heed your martyrs
their blood yearns for economic freedom

Salvation

Father, I asked for a bright future
And the filthy streets of Hilbrow were an answer
I asked for love
But Oxford road was the answer
I asked for a job
and roamed Andries street in Pretoria
Father forgive, i am a sinner
Though i pray for freedom
I know tomorrow i will sin again
And if you bury me deep into fires of hell
Let me keep every line i wrote
Let me take my poetry to hell
its my only form of salvation
I am Free

Dambudzo

Brotherman, you were born not to make it
all odds stacked against you
they marveled when you heart grew faint
not knowing the future inside of you
When life knocked you down
like a giant you emerged strong
We laughed at your tears
When they dried up
and you were still standing
Some dont understand
they have called you names
not knowing how deep your scars run
They have not been to your childhood
they didnt see rivers of tears flow from your heart
They know nothing of your demons
And the darkness which clouded your days
I have seen you cross oceans
torn climbing mountain to mountain
But i have seen you walk through it all
to a better day today