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Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
I am a white African. Contradiction in terms? I think not. Sometimes my blog will be serious; sometimes sad; sometimes irreverent; sometimes witty; always my truth simply written.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

PSEUDO


A-list.
Celebrities
are just normal people
who get too much publicity.
Fan fare.

Cinquain 2/4/6/8/2

(Thanks to Luke of Facial Expressions Poetry Circle on FB for motivating me to change the last line of this cinquain.)

Sunday, December 26, 2010

LOST


midnight
on the other side of nothing
on the road to nowhere
clutching at
fragments of memory
ghosts
sanity

on the other side of nothing
on the road to nowhere

(Thanks to Annie Welch of Facial Expressions Poetry Circle on FB for her rewrite of my poem.  This works much better.)

© Marion Friedenthal

Thursday, December 23, 2010

VLAKPLAAS BRAAI

SENSITIVE READERS COULD FIND THIS POEM HIGHLY DISTURBING.


The Askari
lost his service pistol.
A negligent act.

His screams and pleas
fell on cruel ears
as the commander and his men
took turns kicking him
kicking
kicking kicking
until he was dead.
Or so they said.

Only one, concealed
in the shadows,
was spared

from participating
in the brutal murder.
He cowered,
hiding in the dark,

hiding
hiding hiding

as the team grilled
meat over open coals.

Hoarse from cheering,
they became noisier
as the liquid gold

caressed
their throats,
easing their vocal chords.
Drinking heavily

drinking
drinking drinking

their tongues loosened
as they reminisced.

Cool night air
became saturated
with the sounds

of nocturnal animals
and drunken chatter
and, above it all, the
sickening smell

sickening
sickening sickening

that wafted from the
open fireplace beside the braai.

A smell haunting
and repugnant,
as the Askari,

burned
burned burned

his skin
and his eyes
and his genitals

cooking
cooking cooking

in an impromptu
cremation.

Ashes to ashes.

He no longer
hides in the shadows
but he still has to

swallow
swallow swallow

breathe
breathe breathe

to stop the horror
that rises in his throat
threatening to erupt
in thick, warm fountains
at the mere mention
of the word
‘braai’.



Tragically this poem is based on fact.
Askari is the Arabic, Urdu,Turkish, Somali, Persian, and Swahili word meaning "soldier". Braai or braaivleis is the name for a South African barbeque.
Vlakplaas was a farm used as a base by the ‘Death Squads’ of the apartheid regime in South Africa.
The commander in this poem is a man referred to by many as ‘Prime Evil’. His name is Eugene de Kock. In an attempt to get indemnity, he confessed to his 'politically motivated crimes' at the Truth and Reconciliation hearings. He was granted indemnity for a few ‘politically motivated acts’. For the rest he was convicted to 212 years in prison.

The only fiction in this poem is the man hiding in the shadows whom I introduced in an attempt to illustrate that not all white South Africans supported what happened during the apartheid era. Also, by far the majority of us had no idea what was truly happening in our country.

INDLAMU

Anticipation
reaches fever pitch
as the spectators wait
for the ‘indlamu’ ritual dance
to begin.  Ululations
punctuate the rowdiness
of the crowd.

Thunderclap
of drums erupts and
the ululations reach fever pitch
as the crowd welcomes
the high-kicking Zulu warriors.
As their feet hit the ground
the earth shudders in fear.

Kicking
Feinting
Stomping
Drumming

Psyching themselves
for the mock battle ahead
they brandish
short stabbing spears,
defend with their shields,
as Shaka, King of the Zulus,
taught their ancestors.

see the regalia
see the mock fight
see the crowd

feel the earth shake
feel the energy
feel your pulse race

hear voices roar
hear Africa’s beat
hear the sound

of Zulu drums
and  Zulu feet

Castaway


did you wander
on the fringes
of that distant shore
staring beyond
the immovable horizon
as waves lapped
against naked feet
hoping and praying
for the rescue
that never came

did you wander
on the fringes
of that distant shore
and see your deliverance
passing on the horizon
unmindful that you,
overcome with new hope,
stood with hands waving,
shouting and screaming
until you were hoarse

did you wander
on the fringes
of that distant shore
through thirsty days
and hungry nights
until, submissively,
you lay down to die,
alone and lonely,
on the fringes
of that distant shore

In memory of Amelia Earhart who disappeared during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe in 1937.  Amelia disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island on 2 July 1937.  Now, in 2010, researchers have found some bone fragments on the uninhabited island of Nikumaroro that they think may be Amelia’s remains. Previously a zipper and makeup compact dating back to the 1930’s were found on the island.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

REDEMPTION

he died
as the sun died
rejected by a friend
at least thrice before the cock crowed
and while some protested his innocence
and others hung their heads with shame
a woman wailed and wept
and the earth shook

he died
 (All rights reserved)
1st attempt at Rictameter

SO SIMPLE

Where
love lives
cruelty
cannot survive.
Where there is cruelty love cannot live.

(All rights reserved) 


1st attempt at Trectactrys

AN EYE FOR AN EYE


Walk
with me
out of this
locked-down cell block.
My reluctant legs
are quivering with fear.
‘Dead man walking’ resonates.
Death’s rancid breath creeps down my spine
as, seeing your tears, I mouth: ‘Sorry’.

Walk with me out of this locked-down cell block.


Dectina Refrain – a form of poetry invented by Marion Friedenthal and named by Luke Prater.

(All rights reserved.)