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| 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
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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
