Dry Poetry

Biko Lives

The boulder rolled slowly, crushing ice down the hill
Dust balled itself as it followed the boulder in some perfect skill
The sound collided with dust and boulder, rendering them ill
Down the hill reality sealed the unexpected deal

The Towering tree succumbed under a crushing boulder
All dreams shuttered like a fragile glass
What a shame, such a loss so early
There will never be Biko in this world

Masses marched down the hill to weep and cry
But dust paralyzed the tear making tear glands
Allowing leaves to perform the forbidden Arial dance
None of the leaves could land, as the dust could not end
Masses agreed that there will never be Biko in this world

Before masses could touch the tree, it decomposed
Leaving its leaves forming another ball, suspended by dust
Without sound, masses were powerless
It is true; there will never be Biko in this world

From the decomposing tree truck came loaves of bread
From the maggots of the tree came fresh fish
The roots of the tree formed a safety net for the masses
Every one believed that Biko lives!


_____________
Funani ka Ntontela
©August 2007



What does this child want?

A child with many thoughts;
A child of many faults
A child that does not cope;
A child with no hope

Once was full of life, able to jump around
Once was very tough, able to turn around
She betrayed death twice;
For her that was very nice
But what does this child?

She now swims in a dry stream
She now lives with no dream
For her every thing is dead
She thinks she has reached the end
But what does this child really want?

Let my child be here and heard
Don’t add miseries in her head
Let my child cry very loud
Perhaps that might make her proud

You know that she has no dad
You know she is always sad
Yet you make her very mad
What you do is so bad

Let her tell her story;
About her former glory
Let he sing a song, not cry any more
But sing a song, then die and be buried in a song


____________
Funani ka Ntontela
©August 2007


Man the Creator
From the swamps at the foot of the mountain Man emerged
With African reeds He built seven pyramids
And wrote a book of Specifications, a book about His inventions
Then carved a rocks in honour of His God

Man walked to Hut-ka-Ptah to build solid dreams,
Laid a foundation of human endurance and genius,
Engraving tricks of life a solid wall
The Pyramids of Giza are very large

Man frustrated the desert, the heat and the storms
Marched with grace to Timbuktu
The temple of Zinj-ka-Fura is very warm
Wasakara and Karanga people are still singing

The footprints of man glitter in a shinning African stone
His finger prints are a story of success
Indeed Man an artist has done His work
The fountain at the University of Makerere still quenches

Man built a city in Zimbabwe and Mapungubwe
Domesticated animals and fire
Yes, Man symbolizes the Creator in this universe
The Ethiopian obelisk does testify

Funani ka Ntontela
© August 2007