IN THE FORGE

That day of righteous indignation

That day is dawning

That day of freedom is nigh

The new lessons are now to be learnt

Call it violence if you will

The slaves have nothing to lose

For too long the chains have been here

Listen to the songs of redemption

DREAMS

Bereft of dreams
Dreams bashed by truncheons
Dreams under the jack boots
Jack boots of the Philistines
Dreams in solitary confinement
Dreams pummelled by water cannons
Dreams whimpering for freedom
That is the healing of this nation

CAPITALIST NIGGER

written by one Chika Onyeani, Capitalist Nigger, A spider web doctrine,published by Jonathan Ball Publishers[Johannesburg and Cape Town] 2000 is a book I will describe as infectious.Having read the book you do not come away unscathed whether you are a melanin man [black man] or caucasian man[white man].the pages are really full of venom.There are lessons to be learnt in the book.The black man is challenged to stand up and carve a niche for himself where the caucasian hegemony is quite insidious

I must confess that the book smote me in much the same way that 'Decolonising the mind' by Ngugi Wa Thiong'o did.

For how long shall we black people be bound in shackles and chains?In his provocative way Chika Onyeani proffers his 'Capitalist Nigger doctrine.Hey!

freedom come

these caged thoughts
thoughts in the dungeons
those under the censor's boots
proceeding with this caution
the thoughts behind the veil
yearning for free flight
restrained by the Philistines

poet at work

knowing neither day nor night
that is my station in life
the beast of burden that i am
i know i am not alone in this
carrying the rider and his baggage
the reward is their ingratitude

the twenty-four hour worker
usually even working more
heavily indebted to the future
the beast of burden at work
the tools of my trade by my bedside
those flashes of brilliance to be captured

with mud and spittle

this prophet has spoken
those that have ears
then let them hear
those that have eyes
let them now see
for what has been hidden
from the wise and prudent
to the babe and the suckling
now been revealed