South african history Poems
Aluta Continua : Forced Removals
by Ghairo Daniels
ALUTA CONTINUA : FORCED REMOVALS
( Poet’s Note : This poem first appeared in : A Collection of Memoirs on District Six titled District Six Memories, Thoughts and Images/ Attic Press, 2021, as part of a collection of nine poems on Forced Removals )
We willed concentrated power
circled in cobalt blue
fields of strawberries
and dagger beckoned
irrespective of consciousness
a sorry state of affairs when battles
......
Memories of War
by Ghairo Daniels
MEMORIES OF WAR
In prison we turmoiled
packed up cards to fall
whilst they sucked
genitals like bonbons
a quartz on a table
gleamed its knowing
......
Cecyl, Son of our Soil
by Ghairo Daniels
{Poet’s Note : I wrote this poem for the passing of my very dear friend & comrade, Cecyl Esau, Umkhonto we Sizwe Commander in 2021, as a contribution to his memorial service. Cecyl was given a full Provincial Military Official Funeral. Though the reading was filmed & recorded as part of the proceedings, I recently kept dreaming about Cecyl. I realised that he wanted me to post the poem here. So now I am doing just that, with my love for him, & trust it will be found by some of the soldiers he commanded, who are still living. Cecyl was sentenced for 12yrs imprisonment on Robben Island for his political cum military activity. He later joined the Institute of Justice & Reconciliation, continuing to strengthen Democracy in South Africa, before his passing }
CECYL : SON OF OUR SOIL : CONSUMMATE REVOLUTIONARY
U stood there
Magnetic
our sacred Cause ingrained
in your palms
expecting nothing but
what a moment would bring
......
Comrade Love Needed
by Ghairo Daniels
COMRADE LOVE NEEDED
Sorrow of Love is hard to bear
stretches my bones and
I cannot go on
A need for comrades
to speak about Love
lost their ability to love
can only love for moments
......
Fear Not to Vision
by Ghairo Daniels
FEAR NOT TO VISION
Fear not to vision
Trust to catch stardust from
Whence we came
Create a new World, woven
With Peace and Patience
Fear not the glaring blaze of Light
It dazzles us with lucid eyes
......
Memories of War
by Ghairo Daniels
MEMORIES OF WAR
In prison we turmoiled
packed up cards to fall
whilst they sucked
genitals like bonbons
a quartz on a table
gleamed its knowing
......
Solitary Confinement 1 : No. 4
by Ghairo Daniels
SOLITARY CONFINEMENT 1 : Number Four
Many chains, many locks and bars
clattered at four in the morning
black bitter coffee drugged
a single bucket of cold water
it was winter
I had ten minutes to speak
......
Aluta Continua : Forced Removals
by Ghairo Daniels
ALUTA CONTINUA : FORCED REMOVALS
( Poet’s Note : This poem first appeared in : A Collection of Memoirs on District Six titled District Six Memories, Thoughts and Images/ Attic Press, 2021, as part of a collection of nine poems on Forced Removals )
We willed concentrated power
circled in cobalt blue
fields of strawberries
and dagger beckoned
irrespective of consciousness
a sorry state of affairs when battles
......
Fear Not to Vision
by Ghairo Daniels
FEAR NOT TO VISION
Fear not to vision
Trust to catch stardust from
Whence we came
Create a new World, woven
With Peace and Patience
Fear not the glaring blaze of Light
It dazzles us with lucid eyes
......
Cecyl, Son of our Soil
by Ghairo Daniels
{Poet’s Note : I wrote this poem for the passing of my very dear friend & comrade, Cecyl Esau, Umkhonto we Sizwe Commander in 2021, as a contribution to his memorial service. Cecyl was given a full Provincial Military Official Funeral. Though the reading was filmed & recorded as part of the proceedings, I recently kept dreaming about Cecyl. I realised that he wanted me to post the poem here. So now I am doing just that, with my love for him, & trust it will be found by some of the soldiers he commanded, who are still living. Cecyl was sentenced for 12yrs imprisonment on Robben Island for his political cum military activity. He later joined the Institute of Justice & Reconciliation, continuing to strengthen Democracy in South Africa, before his passing }
CECYL : SON OF OUR SOIL : CONSUMMATE REVOLUTIONARY
U stood there
Magnetic
our sacred Cause ingrained
in your palms
expecting nothing but
what a moment would bring
......
