"Ulwimi Lomqolo" by Christopher Fox Graham

Qunu, South Africa

"Ulwimi Lomqolo" 

by Christopher Fox Graham

ndinike tattoo

nzulu kunesikhumba

emathanjeni omqolo wam

phezu kwamathambo omqolo ngamnye

ngolwimi ngalunye lomntu

tattoo igama labo elithi "imibongo"

ukuze kungabikho lwimi luziva lwasemzini kwakhona;

ukuze ilizwi ngalinye lomntu

Unokuthetha ilizwi kum

vumela isiArabhu nesiHebhere

hlala ecaleni ngaphandle kokuphosa amatye

vumela abalinganiswa baseCantonese nabaseHindi

ukudibanisa izandla ukubamba uSwahili noHutu kwi-hammock

vumela uBasque noZulu ekugqibeleni bachukumise imilebe yaseVietnam

ngelixa iNavajo iphumle intloko egxalabeni likaMalay

sithetha iilwimi ezingamawaka amathandathu

kodwa ndiza kunyamezela intlungu kunye nexesha

ngoko akukho lizwi lomntu elinokuthetha nam

ngaphandle kokuvakala

chrum chrum kwik

vumela ii-syllables zase-Afrika

ukwabelana ngendawo kunye ne-European articulations,

I-Asian morphemes,

kunye nokubizwa kwamagama e-Aboriginal,

zimise emgceni uze uzikrole

njengebhakhowudi ye-organic ebhalwe eBraille

efundekayo ziimbungu eziza kundiguqula ngenye imini

kwinkolo yothuli nothuthu

ukuba sasikholelwa kanye

phambi kwale nkolo yenyama negazi

wasikhupha kudongwe

ukudlala abalinganiswa abafutshane kwimvula

mabangcamle incasa yamazwi ethu

mabadle imibongo

uze uyibuyisele emhlabeni

ukuze umhlaba uzive ubunzima bamazwi ethu

kwaye ungasilibali

xa siphela

njengeentlobo eziphambi kwethu

krola igama lokugqibela

kwikhowudi ye-morse

emazantsi omqolo wam

ukuze ndive isingqi segama

kwiinyonga zam xa ndilala

.--. --- . - .-. -.--

vumela amachaphaza kunye ne-dashes zisasazeke

kuwo onke amathambo am kwintsholongwane yokuqonda

ngoko ukuba ndilahlekelwe lilizwi lam

Ndisakwazi ukuthetha igama

ngokucofa iminwe yam,

ukubetha igubu

okanye ukutshintsha isingqi sokubetha kwentliziyo yam

ukuthetha ngegazi lam

khawufane ucinge

iilwimi ezingamawaka amathandathu

ukudlala umqolo wam

kwimvisiswano ye-33

ukwenza i-symphony yam

kunye nomculo ovakalayo

phezulu umnqonqo wam

echoing ngakumbi nangakumbi kwitonela

ukwandisa umculo odityanisiweyo

yonke indlela eya kwisiseko sengqondo sam

apho idubula khona

kwaye ivakalisa ngaphakathi kwi-skull yam

chrum

amawaka amathandathu amabinzana amatsha

ngegama elifanayo

kunye namazwi eemvumi ezingamawaka amathandathu ezigidi

kwiingcinga zam ezintandathu zezigidi

ndide ndingasakwazi ukuthatha isiphithiphithi

kwaye ingoma yabo iqhuma emilebeni yam

chrum chrum kwik

umzuzu wokuqonda okuvumelanisiweyo

yengoma enye

yelizwi elinye

yendoda enye

ngephanyazo elinye

phambi kokuba ihlabathi liqhwanyaza

ilahlekelwa kugxininiso

kwaye uphulaphule i-echo

iyaphela kancinci

kodwa uyakhumbula 

chrum kwik 

yemibongo yethu