Monday 1 August 2016

AN EXPERIMENT: a poem on the eve of South Africa's local government elections


Vote of Africa: Baring the Cross

There’s a broken boy
Lives on our street
Paints his face
Will dance for a sweet

His sign says “Thomas”
Got hit by a truck
Go to Steve Biko
Pretend to give a fuck

In the land of the Boers
They call it John Vorster
And they blame his mum
Say: Nobody forced her

He’s lucky of course
There’s money round here
They throw him a Spur
An occasional beer

I say to the kids
Give him a wave
And Tom dances on
To an early grave

It’s voting day
X marks the spot
But not for Tom
He’s a have-not

There is an ideal world
Where Tom is a trooper
In an army of voters
Making life super


The EFF will give him land
The ANC may find a grand
And take it back
With the other hand

Sorry dancing boy
Your life ain’t fair
Your invisible legions

Are too much to share

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