I CANNOT THINK OF ALL THE PAINS
i cannot think of all the pains in men's breasts without the urge to sleep, or to lie down, I cannot think without seeing God’s face in the child’s smile, or in the lonely cry in the night and in the sea. i cannot think of all the pains that have come and gone, pains in men’s waists and in men’s shoes – i cannot have relief proper, wearing a neat tie. i run around in circles, like sprinkling water, i can’t have true relief, swearing out loudand counting out the pains in my breast,and in my pants. i cannot think of all the pains and all the years wasted, all the craze of lonely men in village rooms,and all the bodies that lie out cold, in avoided streets- i can’t run out old, like a joyful child and watch a sky pregnant with pain, or with turbulent rain; i cannot think of the soil without lying down,br> i cannot think of tears, lonely geographies and the third world, without the urge to cry or to sit down. "I CANNOT THINK OF ALL THE PAINS - Mxolisi Nyezwa - Poetry International." I CANNOT THINK OF ALL THE PAINS - Mxolisi Nyezwa - Poetry International. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2012. <http://www.poetryinternationalwe bnet/pi/site/poem/item/5470>. © 2000, Mxolisi Nyezwa From: Song Trials Publisher: University of Natal Press (Gecko Poetry), South Africa ISBN: 0 86980 9768 Share on emailShare on facebookShare on twitterMore Sharing Servicesshare © All material on this website is copyright protected. It is made available here without charge for personal use only. It may not be stored, displayed, published, reproduced, or used for any other purpose without prior and written permission by Poetry International. login |
FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND To be a jacket
To be a slave To be a stepladder To be forsaken For you to understand You must have a disability To be a breast of money For those who are abled And be the belt For civil servants And be a grass mat for feet The feet of the rich The feet of the wealthy For you to understand You must have a disability And ask for help day and night No one will listen The government and community They all emphasise They emphasise your worthlessness And you also feel worthless But for you to understand You must have a disability Discrimination has become obvious To be undermined People see a disability And do not see a person But for you to understand You must have a disability. "FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND - Bongekile Joyce Mbanjwa - Poetry International." FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND - Bongekile Joyce Mbanjwa - Poetry International. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2012. <http://www.poetryinternationalweb.net/pi/site/poem/item /13261> |
A POETIC CONNECTION EXPLANATION
This pain that is described in 'I CANNOT THINK OF ALL THE PAINS" sounds inreplaceable the heartache there's no turning back whats done is complete. There's lonliness and just pure depression and struggle. It's to messy now to fix. Without seeing God's face in a yound child's smile or hearing the lonely cry in the sea there is no satisfaction. Even in this mess faith can find a break through. There's pain in what goes on here , yet there's faith that all this will overcome all the struggles of the land and the people. The two poems"I CANNOT THINK OF ALL THE PAINS" and "FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND" connect because they are both kindof in the dark here. Their both looking for someone to understand them and view where their coming from.