i am lucky
because your english tongue finds itself unable
to navigate it’s awkward self
around the intricacies of my given name
= = =
i am patience
because you are impatient
with the repetition that is needed
for you to master my moniker
and so instead you choose your own
one that works for you
= = =
i am working in your house filled with wonder
you wondering whether or not
i fill my pockets and my purse with your sugar
when i leave for home at night
while i simply wonder
if my children made it to school safely
and will they be alive to greet me
when i finally make it home
= = =
i am listening to you
telling me to be quiet
because my anger at this symbol
that means nothing of note to you
is causing you to feel uncomfortable
and can’t we all just go back
to watching sport
= = =
i am the ironical ridiculousness
of these letters being put here
by such pale fingers
as to think they have any right to speak my words
as if just hoping that place of privilege
they are brought from
might get them in front of the eyes
they wouldn’t have
if i had truly written them
[For my friend Avuyile’s response in poetic form, click here]
Irresistibly Fish 
I am meek, for in my meekness I am forced to tolerate you imposing your ideas into my system.
I suffer in silence for my cries echo an uncomfortable feeling on your back side thus the words “move away from the past”.
I die daily at your sight, a sight that not invokes feelings of hatred rather anger and resentment for you have for a long time disregarded my humanity and my ideas.
I have sacrificed so much for your benefit yet still my efforts and my energy seem to have gone down the drain. How long should I continue in this vain? For in my sanity you regard me as insane. Take a moment to listen to my heart beat, feel the motion, it is a motion of sorrow, a motion of pain of the many sufferings I have endured at your hands.
To see your gay abandon each day awakes feelings of disdain, for it is the utter carelessness and ignorance to my hunger and my yearning. The very desire to live and pursue what makes me who I am, the many things I have missed out on my kids, wife, cousin, and my community.
I am forced into servitude not with a whip rather the brutal wrenching of my dignity.
Brett I hope you don’t mind me writing a little further in tandem with your poem, you just touched on a lot of things that are reality for myself and many others out there. Wonderful rendition, maybe the next step is write a poetry book :D, that would be awesome.
ah dude, that is insanely good – may i post it as a separate piece? or do you want it linked to mine? i love your words, much better than my simple ones and would love for more people to see this… and a joint poetry book of cape town poets of all shapes, sizes and hues? BRING IT ON!
I would love the book of different poets, You can share it separately if you want, your call man. But I had to share. I had to write, it has been a while.
Your poetry is really good, I especially like how they are so long and filled with so much emotion and, kinda feels like your niche. Keep writing! 🙂
Ah dude, that means SO MUCH coming from you. Maybe we should try a collaboration sometime where we choose a title and both write our respective long and short versions of it? Tag Team Poetry anyone? [Leaving back to South Africa on Wed so gonna try write some poetry on the plane]
I have no problem with that, I absolutely love collaborations…its the ultimate form of camaraderie pen wise…If you have an idea in mind, don’t hesitate to mention…
Do you have an email address? About to fly across the world so maybe when i get home – mine is brettfish@hotmail.com and would love to do something race and unity related…
michaeldante01@gmail.com is the e-mail I usually use…have a safe trip Brett…The tag team of poetry is nigh…Race and Unity, interesting, please elaborate via e-mail