visa
(For South African poet,
Athol Williams*)
how similar their fights
fought on a foreign landscape:
a disneyland for nerds
for arthur it was an exit visa
and for athol an entry visa
but the sun does not shine for the sun’s sake
and a visa is not issued for the visa’s sake
their pigment like gravity still works
against them
stamped and embedded like a dompas*
reigniting the flame of institutionalised anger
born into a history of colonial oppression
and criminalised because of crushed roots
elucidate this shameless act of sabotage
in attempts to turn oxford odysseys into exile
despair remains with the defeated
but glory awaits the ones storming the castles
* Athol
Williams is an acclaimed South African poet and author of “Pushing Boulders”
and the “Oaky” series of children's books. In 2017 he was denied access to the
UK, despite charming many in the country for describing the University of
Oxford as “Disneyland for nerds”. He reapplied for his visa and was eventually
allowed to return to Oxford University to continue his studies toward a
doctorate. Williams attained his Master’s degree in political theory at Oxford.
Williams also holds masters’ degrees from other top universities, including
Harvard.
* During
the apartheid-era, passes were often called the dompas, literally meaning the
"dumb pass" or domestic passport.
