South Africa

  South Africa,

I lost you in the rain,

now I’m left in the desert

without any soles.

  South Africa,

I fell for your beauty on beauty.

  South Africa,

years of tears,

monsters of destiny;

your children walk barefoot

wishbone thinking.

  South Africa,

Pringle to Wyk to Serote

shade rainbow words

while we tourists dip our noses

in forever life changing professions.

  South Africa,

I’ve seen through your township walls,

            looked down from your table mountain,

and saw two oceans meet as one.

  South Africa,

I’ve seen men, South African,

            white and black,

talking, making sense.

Don’t you know color is consciousness

And ignorance dies with language?

  South Africa,

I came for a quart of Castle,

            I left with a lesson

on life as an art for love.

  South Africa,

When will the townships be safe to walk at night?

When will the women be left alone?

  South Africa,

When will color be of no fear?

How long will it take to stop this rain?