Es'kia Mphahlele has died.

I have just read that Es'kia Mphahlele has died. I wrote this post in appreciation of his writing, and his life, just a month ago. I am kind of in shock. 

He was a great man, a great South African, someone whom I feel was under appreciated as a South African icon.

He achieved unbelievable things in extremely difficult circumstances, and should be a role model to all of us.

I have never read any of his novels, but will take the time to as soon as possible.

If you get the chance, you should read his autobiography, it will teach you much about South Africa, and life in those times.

Rest in peace, Prof. Mphahlele.

Bewaaaare the jumping buck

This haiku was inspired by this Thoughtleader article.

Beware: Jumping Buck.

It will give you bad luck, and

cause crate-loads of kak.

Little llama

Another animal haiku from crazy guest splatter Foo:

He gazes at me

his eyes so deep and soulful

oh little llama

people on the streets

This is an extract from a short story I wrote, so it is not really poetry at all. It is a paragraph about people on the streets in Cape Town. Most of the people described are based on truth. 

There was the proud lady who asked only for water,

 the wizened man with the startling beard,

 the child who carried a letter telling of her troubles,

 the young schizophrenic who swayed on one leg for hours and then burst into a heated tirade, 

the man with the recorder, 

the one with the club foot,

 the wire flower seller, 

the card seller, 

the bead seller, 

 the sweeper,

 the leaf-raker, 

the candlestick maker, 

the one who helped you park your car,

 the one who guarded your parked car, 

the ones who cleaned your car windows while you stopped at the robots.

Train

Another haiku from the guest splatter Foo.

The sound of swishing

train comes to a flying halt

ooh that scary leaf

Feeling blue.

Here is a poem from guest splatter, Foo.

He sits in lonely torment.

the sun no longer reigns in the sky

an outcast, a stranger

they reject the unfamiliar

for he...

is the only gay smurf in the village

monkey see

Today's splat is another haiku by guest splatter Foo.

Monkey grab monkey

see no feel no banana

sometimes it's disguised

mischievous moose

A moose on the loose

ran into my garden and

terrified the goose.

Lemmings

Another guest splatter, yay! Today's guest splatter is called Foo and she has written a haiku:

Lemming one drop down

lemming two land on lemming

lemming three go squish

Grey day.

Grey is the morning.

I have no fire left in me

to light the grey day.

(haiku)

Prayer

A bird is warm and free

to sing or eat a worm

and fly, fly.

I have a stone 

deep in my bowels,

smooth like an egg

but cold.

It will not dislodge

it bears me down

and slowly, slowly,

I petrify.

Fissures forge fine imprints

of  feathered history,

and I grow hard, leached dry,

a fossil on a museum shelf-

beyond reach.

When I die I wish my soul to 

fly.

Whirlwind

This is the way the whirlwind turns;

Without a thought for where you stood

and watched the birds on the wall

or fought with your lover

just five seconds before.

It can take you away 

as if you were nothing more than dust

and dump you where

you do not know yourself at all.

The passing penguin

Today's splat is written by a guest splatter, G. He wrote it while in Antarctica for 15 months at the South African base.

The Passing Penguin

Swishing, and swashing and swimming about

Swish swash and hop just out

Flipping and flopping and looking about

Flip flop and have no doubt

Mmm

On to tummy, better get out!