Taxi Queen (Poetry)

𝘁𝗮𝘅𝗶 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻

𝗃𝗒 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝖾𝗇 𝖾𝗇 𝗆𝖺𝗆𝗆𝖺 𝗌𝖾 𝗄𝗅𝖾𝗂𝗇𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀

𝗆𝖺𝖺𝗋 𝗇𝗈𝗎 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗍𝖺𝗑𝗂 𝖽𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀

𝗃𝗒’𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗈𝗂𝗍 𝗅𝖺𝖺𝗍 𝗏𝗂𝗋 ‘𝗇 𝖿𝗋𝖾𝖾-𝗋𝗂𝖽𝖾

𝖾𝗇 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝖽 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗄 𝗇á 𝗌𝗄𝗈𝗈𝗅 𝗄𝗈𝗆 𝗁𝖺𝖺𝗅

𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗃𝗒’𝗌 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝖽𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝖾 𝖻𝗋𝗂𝖽𝖾

𝖺𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖾𝗇 𝖻𝖺𝗂𝖾 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝗌𝗂𝖺𝖺𝗅

𝗆𝖺𝖺𝗋 𝗆𝖺𝗆𝗆𝖺 𝗌𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗌𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗂𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝗍 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗀𝖾𝖾𝗍

𝗈𝗆 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀-𝖺𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗉𝗂𝗅 𝗍𝖾 𝗏𝖺𝗍

𝗇𝗈𝗎’𝗌 𝗃𝗒 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗀𝗀𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝖾𝗇 𝗁𝗒 𝗂𝗌 𝗄𝗐𝖺𝖺𝖽

𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗀𝗂𝖿𝗍𝗌 𝗁𝖾𝗍 𝗁𝗎𝗅 𝗏𝖺𝗅𝗎𝖾 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗋

𝖾𝗇 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗋𝗂𝖽𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝗍 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝖾𝗇𝗌𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗀𝖾𝗐𝗈𝗋𝖽

𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝖽𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖾𝗇 𝗀𝗎𝖺𝗋𝖽𝗃𝗂𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝗈𝗉 𝗃𝗈𝗎 𝗌𝗉𝗈𝗈𝗋

𝗈𝗆𝖽𝖺𝗍 𝗃𝗒 𝖽𝗋𝖾𝗂𝗀 𝗈𝗆 𝗍𝖾 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗋𝗍

“𝗀𝗈𝗎, 𝗆𝖺𝗆𝗆𝖺 𝗌𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗌𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗂𝖾, 𝗃𝗎𝗆𝗉 𝗎𝗂𝗍 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗍𝖺𝗑𝗂

𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗄𝖺𝗇 𝖽𝗂𝗍 𝗇𝗂𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗉 𝗇𝗂𝖾

𝗃𝗒 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝖽𝗂𝖾𝗇 𝗇𝗂𝖾 𝗁𝗂𝖾𝗋𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝗒𝗌 𝗇𝗂𝖾”

© 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝘄𝘆𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄

Lockdown Journal - Day 30

My Lockdown Journal 2020 – Saturday, Day 30:

The world is not going back to ‘business as usual’ any time soon. What the world needs now is love. The only way for love to manifest is through unity. South Africa needs it now more than ever. Our differences like culture, education, class, race etc., have become walls of separation that must be broken down. These are areas we all can agree on to respect.

Given the complicated nature of our rainbow nation, it is not surprising that there are so many assumptions and misconceptions flying around on social media. I love the concept of ‘apart we are together’ because it reminds me of the spirit of reconciliation during Nelson Mandela’s leadership era.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we all complained that we had no time or were out of time. Maybe now is the time to take stock. Perhaps we should not go any further until we have accomplished this. How can we achieve this? We can start by uniting to fight a common enemy known as ‘novel coronavirus’.

During the lockdown, many women, men and children are stuck at home with their abusers. The number of cases reported since the beginning of the lockdown is scary. The right thing to do is to help someone who needs our help. Call the Stop Gender-Based Violence Helpline on 0800 150 150.

#SocialDistancing
#LockdownJournal
#LockdownSouthAfrica
#COVID19

Lockdown Journal - Day 25

My Lockdown Journal 2020 – Monday, Day 25:

Television has always been an entertaining distraction and a way to escape the stresses of daily life. However, the world has changed since the introduction of the TV. The COVID-19 pandemic is just one example of how television has become a source of vital information.

Watching the news, one realises that the coronavirus picked the right time, and the right country to create havoc on a socio-economic level. The poorest of the poor are resorting to looting because of hunger. Food supplies from the government for the poor are allegedly intercepted by councillors, and the sold or handed out to their supporters. Several claims of food looting have been reported in several provinces. This kind of behaviour coming from community-elected councillors is inhumane and unacceptable.

It’s now up to private donors and foundations like that of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, to donate food parcels in some of Port Elizabeth’s poorest townships. Some churches are also distributing food parcels to the needy and vulnerable. The current situation has many South Africans feeling helpless and hopeless. The nation is in a grip of fear due to uncertainties brought on the lockdown.

I am fully aware that quoting Bible scriptures won’t bring food on the table, but I do believe that it’s food for one’s spirit. One of the scriptures that I think about a lot comes from 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” I believe we have nothing to lose by giving God all our worries.

During the lockdown, many women, men and children are stuck at home with their abusers. There is no excuse for abuse during or after lockdown. The bravest thing you and I can do is to help someone who needs help or is asking for help. Call the Stop Gender-Based Violence Helpline on 0800 150 150.

World COVID-19 count:
2,424,419 Infections - 166,235 Deaths.

#LockdownJournal
#LockdownSouthAfrica
#COVID19

Lockdown Journal - Day 24

My Lockdown Journal 2020 – Sunday, Day 24:

Last week we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus. He rose from the dead just for us. It is a daily celebration in my life. Today thousands of my fellow South Africans are in their own Garden of Gethsemane; in the middle of a fight for survival against an unseen enemy, the coronavirus. The curve (curse) must be flattened, the virus must be stopped. There is however another threat; protests and looting all over South Africa in response to one issue: hunger.

Our television screens flicker with images of people protesting and praying as they fight hunger because of poverty, and loss of income. I cannot imagine the levels of anxiety and stress in these households. The government is doing its bit, but its hands are full. The government is like a juggler trying to maintain a balance between securing food supply to the needy and containing the spreading of COVID-19 daily.

It is up to us, civil society to help feed the hungry families because the government - for obvious reasons - is not doing enough. Allegations have surfaced of councillors and government officials in several provinces keeping food packages provided by the government for themselves and their families, and some rerouting them to their supporters.

This is where we stand up and say, “when they go low, we go high”. As citizens of this young democracy, we must help our fellow South Africans because no man is an island. I am reminded of a poem by John Donne titled, “No man is an island”. The opening verses are still relevant today:

No man is an island,
entire of itself;
every man is a piece of the continent,
a part of the main.

The closing verses hit even harder as we see an increase in the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in South Africa:

Any man’s death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind;
and therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
it tolls for thee.

During the lockdown, many women, men and children are stuck at home with their abusers. There is no excuse for abuse during or after lockdown. The bravest thing you and I can do is to help someone who needs help or is asking for help. Call the Stop Gender-Based Violence Helpline on 0800 150 150.

#LifeInLockdown
#GodBlessSouthAfrica
#LockdownJournal
#LockdownSouthAfrica
#CoronaViru

Lockdown Journal - Day 23

My Lockdown Journal 2020 – Saturday, Day 23:

Imagine walking alone at night during the lockdown and a ghostly figure with wild hair and a grizzly bear beard jumps in front of you. Well, that’s what a small Malaysian community is experiencing. It’s their government’s attempt to ensure superstitious residents stay home during the country's coronavirus lockdown. With the ongoing disregard for the lockdown regulations in South Africa, this might be an option.

I want to share something equally ghostly and ghastly about Arthur Nortje, a poet from Port Elizabeth, doomed to isolation in a foreign country, unable to return home. He went to school in South End, studied at the University of the Western Cape, and taught at Paterson High School before leaving to graduate at Jesus College in the United Kingdom.

Arthur Nortje died in Oxford in December 1970. He didn’t die from the coronavirus, but he was sent into exile by the apartheid virus. A racist virus that had Nortje questioning his self-worth and his identity. He kept a diary (exercise books) in which he wrote about life in South Africa, Canada and in the United Kingdom. Robert Pearce, a librarian and author, digitised all Nortje’s diaries. It is archived at the University of South Africa. From his diary entries, one could deduce that Nortje questioned the meaning of life, his identity and his on-off love relationship with his country, then run by a racist government.

Everything went bad when he had to leave his beloved country in 1966 on a one-way exit visa. His writing dealt with the isolation of being classified as a ‘baster’ coloured in apartheid, South Africa. He felt alienated, discarded, isolated. His poems reflect the feelings of separation and loss. Arthur Nortje died a lonely man, but he lives on in the hearts of those he touches with his bold yet introspective writing. Nortje's life has made me realise again that one’s destination is not a place but looking at things through a new lens. Unfortunately, all that Nortje could see was dead roots.

Here is an excerpt from his poem “Waiting”:
“The isolation of exile is a gutted
warehouse at the back of pleasure street:
the waterfront of limbo stretches panoramically
- night the beautifier lets the lights
dance across the wharf,
I peer through the skull's black windows
wondering what can credibly save me.”

The Arthur Nortje Collection was sold to the Unisa Library by Hedy Davis, who obtained the notepads, exercise diaries, and personal documents in the course of her researching the life and works of Nortje, on behalf of Mrs Cecelia Potgieter, the mother of Arthur Nortje. A few people I know still have questions around royalties because he has a surviving half-sister living in Port Elizabeth. There are efforts underway to have Nortje’s remains repatriated to South Africa.

During the lockdown, many women, men and children are stuck at home with their abusers. There is no excuse for abuse during or after lockdown. The bravest thing you and I can do is to help someone who needs help or is asking for help. Call the Stop Gender-Based Violence Helpline on 0800 150 150.

#LockdownJournal
#LockdownSouthAfrica
#CoronaVirus