Katlego Mofokeng
Teargas dissipates and stomping turns silent
Hear-thuds of dropping black bodies
He’ll claim it was necessary,
…the self-appointed messiah.
As the smoke clears
Stillness signals the end of danger
They’ve fallen
“Safety at last”
So, rush past the gates.
Tell them we’ve sang our ancestor’s chants as lullabies,
Tell them we’re already on the floor,
hands behind our heads.
Tell them there is no danger,
We’ve fallen down.
Tell them their colonial legacy is still safe.
And what kind of life lies ahead after our surrender?
What of those we’ve left back home?
What of our strength and cunning?
Does every bent knee satisfy the idol of coloniality?
Does the sacrifice of our people go unnoticed?
Because we are simply black bodies?
*****