MARI BALLOT

MARI BALLOT

AFRICA SPEAKS

with anguish a hunger  a heart that seeks

with plagues pains of the past

deserted roads of dissident dust unjust

with deceased spirits

voiced words of poets of old

(not with diamonds and gold)

its homes  hums with a sad song

its trees rustles with violent diphthong

dismal disgrace that its grass sing

rebel rain that its contaminated clouds bring

echoes with dreaded disease

cruel crime’s unease

its defiled rivers run old atrocious tears

new brutal fears

its wicked wind breathes absurd

whispers a massacre message unheard

Africa has become possessed to possess

somehow here guilt shoots no arrows

and this long awaited new noon

casts putrid strange shadows

under a liberated moon

‘the dark river that moved many wheels’

now tolerates those that murders rapes steals

poets let us write  let us again expose

not remain comatose

land of freedom’s greatest son

land of sailing ships in sun

where elephant buck and buffalo run

of shacks and shelters drums and slums

land of laurels of  loving  dazzling high rise buildings

threatened by envenomed yearnings

nights flashes blue sirens red lights

airports busy fights

many begging plights

amongst native flowers indigenous trees

above magnificent mountains

amidst nature’s wilds that beat that throb

along infected eroded blood spilt roads

hear the babies the children widows weep and sob

listen to aged the victims the dejected the deprived

how much brutality will this future forgive again survive

other evils sneak faceless in the crowd

so much is overlooked allowed

children no longer freely play

whilst citizens just walk away

just  hope  just  cope

gather in steepled churches

visit malls of glass concrete and steel

shop   travel   try to ignore this ordeal

huddle home to fenced secured insulated fumigated

air-conditioned bonded brick houses

it is our rainbow Africa that calls

with penury malady suffering

it begs  it cries

too many lies

infected livers  lungs  eyes

too many deaths

festering too many flies

too many prisoners

distressed unsafe citizens

it weeps it screams

with excretion  depletion

decomposed dreams  beg   cry

drowned in the frenzy flood

of what we deny

Africa of too may why’s

it suffocates in murdered blood

it speaks it wreaks

it shouts  as it dies     as it dies     as it dies

MARI BALLOT      (C)

BROTHER  THE SEASONS

HAVE ALL COME AND GONE

it was an endless wicked white winter

yet spring bloomed blushing hopeful colourful

awaiting calm of freedom’s balm

justice’s psalm

black beautiful ebony nights

colourless cool pastel days

survived in chameleon ways

however more suffused

times threatening ominous confused

now the psychedelic streets

rivers and tears run red

again flowing blood         flood

a devastating time of famine fear

emptying bowls

haemorrhaging souls

crime stained cryptic autumn came

khaki security patrols

orange prison overalls

this silver season stripped

more than bark steel and wire

disease pirated our people

it hijacked hopes

it rooted up trees

raped dreams

smashed tombstones

orphaned children

old age and mental patients left to die

left us all hopeless homeless

faithless

we can not see a blue sky

or an innocent yellow bird fly

our eyes are again filled

with cruel crimson sorrow

our ruby hearts and bellies remain hollow

waiting for a better evergreen tomorrow?

listening to that drummer

playing a ‘promised purple summer’!

Mari Ballot (C)

KAZI KWA

Africa’s children.......

their desolate moons         festoon too many inane eyes

their hungry winds            exhume their starving cries

a never ending hostile season   sucked their smiles

tiny fists and feet    hurling stones

unborn bones   infested faceless foetuses

begging without words

their desperate deaths        shall dwell at our laden tables

scrape our wombs

castrate our worlds

bleed  us  wounds

inhabit our words

the barren sky breaks   the sun scores

a hand not a hand

a mouth not a mouth

a child not a child

no laughter

no toys

no games

no dreams

we will never know their tormented names

little slow  stunted steps    meagre  minds   forsaken

unknown beakless birds

their unspoken plead

pitiless shadows of a different war

a milkless mother comforts croons

empty spoons

humanity mocks

nothing shocks

fatherless figure sticks

thin thread twigs

brittle silhouettes

bulging eyes

like animated anatomies     hollow palms  has-beens

urge unto our plasma screens

from callous coffinless places      where we have never been

into our luxurious family rooms

between million dollar ads  and  fads

diseases famine we have never seen

our earth is not holding them      what is their deserving

whilst they stare voiceless at a heartless heaven

that they know nothing about…..

 (C)

MARI BALLOT

MARI BALLOT: Country South Africa. Nationality: South African Living In Stellenbosch near Cape Town Mother tongue was Afrikaans. Wrote her  1st poem at the age of 5. Have written hundreds more but now finishing her novel.