Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Polkadot Skirts by Zibusiso Mpofu


The last time I saw Sekai
She had dust on her feet and grasshoppers in her hand
She loved chasing dreams and always danced in the rain
Hoping, secretly, that her cynical and old great aunt wouldn't catch her
With her feet in the sun.
She had the heart of lion, used to go round places
Stealing mangoes into her old panties, and showing us the chocolates that her father
Sent to her,
''Where is he?'' we used to ask...''In the U.K'' she used answer simply
Nobody, but she and her cynical and old great aunt
Who had hair full of years and no teeth, knew where that was.
Sekai loved catching fireflies

That Was Before Her Father Took Her Across The Ocean

Now she wears polkadot skirts, and little polkdot tights
And talks in a tongue that her cynical and old great aunt can't understand
No one calls her Sekai anymore, but Sarah or Susan or something like that
And no...the girl in the polkadot skirt doesn't remember me at all.




2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very good! Nostalgic and realistic at the same time - and painfully so.

Anonymous said...

I love this one

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