Who Are We?

Jabulani Mhlaoli 1998 (Sebokeng)



From the dark forces of the past,
that has hidden the fossils of our forefathers;
hoping we find no meaning
within ourselves -
We seem lost,
a disconnection from our roots
has landed us here,
rooting for Shakespeare;
diluting our own atmosphere
with dire stains from the West,
Who are we?
__
Descendants of the future,
Inside me hangs a picture
never perfect but
convincingly worthy
of your attention -
Between the cracks
of yesterday,
today and tomorrow
lies a prayer
for better days -
But the days
keep worsening
every other passing day;
Uprooted,
Who are we?
__
Now that our forefathers
have resorted to the spiritual world,
they exist as a separate entity;
While we, on the other hand
seem to have lost our identity -:
We have been westernized
that we can no longer be recognized
by our fellows from other parts of Africa;
Who, exactly are we?

About this poem

This piece, reflects on the roots of the Africans, the ancestral roots, to be precise, forgotten by people of my country.

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Written on July 27, 2021

Submitted by Mhlaoli on July 27, 2021

Modified on March 05, 2023

45 sec read
4

Quick analysis:

Scheme abcdefgghiJKllmjnopqrsscptJKbujvjwwxj
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 812
Words 151
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 37

Jabulani Mhlaoli

Jabulani Mhlaoli is a young South African born poet who found his way to poetry back in 2015 and has since been inspired to write more. His work is mostly about his life, the upbringing, the struggles and the trenches he had to go through from an early age. more…

All Jabulani Mhlaoli poems | Jabulani Mhlaoli Books

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    "Who Are We?" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/105850/who-are-we?>.

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