dawn-drawn

C.J. Driver https://pensouthafrica.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Driver.jpg This time round, I went looking on the website of The Red Wheelbarrow , a new online open mic with an exciting lineup of poets from around the country.  The most recent writing featured on the website is an evocative poem titled  in the water margins , by C.J. Driver.  Below is my response.  As usual, anyone visiting is invited to respond too, in the comments section. Sounds in the shower a poem by Jean Watermeyer, after C.J. Driver Sounds in the shower--  water falling inside four walls constructs, in the corners, noises shaped somehow by thought, or by the wifi - full of news: first and always, the stainless steel drain ricochets the cries of my baby waking and calling for me, though I know from experience he is still sleeping and I should know by now the sound is too soft, a dream of crying that could also be the shouts of rioters, or weeping; the electronic sounds of a hospital ward - feet, conversations

Keorapetse Kgositsile  https://www.sahistory.org.za/sites/default/files/styles/square_images/public/biography_pics/keorapetse_william_kgositsile_0.jpg?itok=CVmtOnrI Up until now, I've only been reading and responding to contemporary South African poetry.  I've decided to include some not so contemporary works in my project, since I have as much to learn about past South African poets as I do about living ones.  Today's poet falls somewhere between the two categories.  I once had the privilege of meeting  Keorapetse "Bra Willie" Kgositsile , then South Africa's poet laureate, at an event organised by Grounding Sessions . He spoke with me briefly and sincerely, taking the few moments we were talking to treat me with genuine interest, without seeming to care whether I was anybody at all in the worlds of arts or politics. He is of course, no longer with us. Four of his poems are on the Poetry International site, and several more are online at Poem Hunter  and Lyr

This time, I've chosen  a poem by Liyema Mkabile in Botsotso, titled Doek: Black and Female .  There was no way I could think of to respond to this poem that didn't seem like cultural appropriation, so instead, I resorted to Google again, to try to take my whiteness out of the way. The following "poem" is pretty much just Google search results, but I think it tells a telling tale, while also keeping me in the position of outsider "googling" in.  As usual, you are invited to read the original, here , and post your own response in the comments section below. Doek a "poem" "by" Jean Watermeyer, after Liyema Mkabile Doek a headscarf Definitions from Oxford languages Doek on Fleek - how I tie my doek! Fleek: extremely good, attractive, stylish "my hair is fleek right now" How to wear a traditional doek Head wrap tutorials 240 My doek style ideas in 2021 180 best doek style ideas kopdoek: a kerchief or bandana worn as a head covering

Update: Fiona Meijer's beautiful book Rise, containing wonderful photographs of Cape Town sunrises, with accompanying poetry by local poets, is available to order from www.itsaboutlight.co.za .  I've just heard about the Cape Dawn Project , and I thought you'd like to know about it too. It's a combined photographic/poetry project by Fiona Meijer-Innes , a Cape Town-based photographer, who has captured hundreds of photographs of Cape Town sunrises, all taken from the same vantage point.  She plans to release the images in a collaborative book of poetry and photography, later this year. More strength to her, for starting something bold and collaborative during these discouraging times!  The photographs are available to view on  it'saboutlight.co.za .  

Gabeba Baderoon https://sia.psu.edu/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/Gabeba_0.jpg?itok=9aZyULaG I have just read a heartbreaking poem by Gabeba Baderoon on Badilisha Poetry Exchange, titled War Tryptich . I admire Ms Baderoon's work - she is one of the few living SA writers I had actually come across before I started actively trying to read more local work. This poem is a fine example, but one that I have found difficult to sit with. Since I've become a mother, I find anything to do with children suffering almost unbearable to keep in mind. I'm sure I was moved by similar stories before, but these days they are too close to home. My response below, is not advocating a political or philosophical position, only expressing personal weakness. As usual, you are invited to add your own response in the comments section. looking away a poem by Jean Watermeyer, after Gabeba Baderoon Let us look away not out of respect exactly, more for the sake of mental health-- let us b

I've been working my way slowly through ModPo , a fantastic course in modern and contemporary American poetry from UPenn.  The final sections are about chance and unoriginality in contemporary poetry, so a poem by Esethu Enkosi on Poetry Potion, titled Sunday Times , caught my eye.  She seems to have taken the questions from a poetry textbook.  There are some prize lines, e.g. "Who is the author of this poem?" and the last one, "Describe the scene the poet avoids conveying so literally in this poem. "  Her title is a little mysterious to me, but I've taken it and her method as inspiration, looking for material to the news app on my phone. I've used the headlines, so the result is I suppose mainly reflective of what's in journalists' minds: Google News - 30 March 2021 a poem 'by' Jean Watermeyer, after Esethu Enkosi I ANC NEC decides that members charged with corruption should step aside within 30 days The state of ANC top leadership Ace M

Bernice Puleng Mosala - https://avbobpoetry.co.za/Home/_GetAttachment?attID=9947&ver=16347321 This time I'm responding to a poem from  the Avbob poetry competition archive , titled Un- by Bernice Puleng Mosala , which won first place in english-language category in the 2019 competition.  Here's my response. As usual, you're invited to leave your own response in the comments section below. (Un)requited A poem by Jean Watermeyer, after Bernice Puleng Mosala. She's so (un)assuming, (un)demanding,  (un)published, (under)-appreciated, (un)ambitious, (mis)understood. (Backing) singer, (under)study, (mother-)figure, (model) citizen. She would (never) say boo to a goose. She has (flawless) skin and (long) legs. She has the (perfect) figure. She's always (beautifully) dressed. (Before she had children,) she worked as a scientist. (Now she has four,) she writes in her spare time. (She tells herself when they are older) she will do something remarkable. Not that raising c

Khadija Sharife - http://worldpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/K2.jpg This time, I've been thinking about a poem by Khadija Sharife published in Botsotso, titled  self-curated, pixelated .  Ms Sharife is a journalist and this poem seems political and environmental and angry. In other words, provocative and not my usual style. I do feel provoked, as I'm sure she intended, and I'm pretty sure I haven't succeeded at not being defensive, though I have tried. Here is my attempt at a response. As usual, you are invited to read her poem too and leave a response in the comments. Monsters at the edges and hope, a toxic thing a poem by Jean Watermeyer, after Khadija Sharife Donald Trump for instance as the headlines have him would take the whole cake and congratulate himself. A woman I knew slightly for a while would take the cake carefully for her neighbourhood and her  sister's children. A couple I know would take the smallest possible slice. A housemate I once had wo

Open mic events are an excellent way to share your poetry with others, and get instant feedback.  They can be a wonderful source of encouragement and inspiration. When my writing starts to flag, I know it's been too long since I last read my work out loud.  One visit to an open mic and I'm scribbling away again!  Regular poetry open mics in Cape Town Update: many of these events have gone digital during lockdown - great news if you would usually find it hard to get there in person.  Check their websites for more information.  Below is a list of poetry open mic events that I know of in Cape Town.  Times and venues are subject to change, so please check the group's website before you go. I won't try to pretend to be an expert on open mics in other towns, although apparently  Jo'burg has a lot going on.  Let me know in the comments if I've missed anything. Grounding Sessions  - a weekly Spoken Word-style open mic in Observatory, Cape Town. Enjoy a casual vibe with

Charl-Pierre Naude https://sala.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Charl-Pierre-Naude-300x200.jpg The conversation with South African poets continues.  This time I've gone looking on Poetry International and came across a recently-posted poem by Charl-Pierre Naudé in English and Afrikaans, called, in English,  Mosquito nets of Neptune . I love the atmosphere he creates - you can almost smell the rain. Here's my response. Just for fun, since Naudé's poem is in two languages, I've also had a go at translating my response into German, my fairly recently-acquired second language. You're invited to leave your own response in the comments section.  We have the wind a poem by Jean Watermeyer, after Charl-Pierre Naudé Somewhere a tropical storm is coming. In Cape Town, we have the wind --  the sky moving en masse , grazing the ground, ripping clouds in and out of existence, breaking against the mountains, chasing even the kite surfers one by one in from the waves, blurrin

While I am currently making it my mission to get to know the South African poetry scene , I realise that there is a whole world of english-language poetry out there to enjoy.  Here are some great sites that I keep returning to for education and inspiration: International Sites: The Academy of American Poets  - includes an archive of poems as well as information about poets. Sign up for a daily email (Poem-a-Day) featuring poems by contemporary poets. Also advertises US-based competitions and events. ModPo - an excellent free course in "Modern and Contemporary American Poetry" convened by Al Filreis of the University of Pennsylvania via Coursera.  More video discussions of poems and poets from Dickinson and Whitman to the present than you can watch in a year. Option to join in real-time for 10 weeks from September to November each year, or work through in your own time. Poetry Archive  - an audio archive of poets reading their own work. Poetry in America  - based at Harvard U

Xolisa Ngubelanga. Image: Werner Hills -   https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-05-28-writer-xolisa-ngubelanga-goes-to-us-for-mandela-fellowship/ First up in my conversation with South African poets project , and chosen randomly because it's the last english-language South African poem on the site, is a poem on Badilisha Poetry X-Change by Xolisa Ngubelanga - Victoria's Secret Threat. Read the poem, as well as some of the poet's other work and his bio  here .  My response is below. If you'd like to, please add your own comment or response in the comments section at the end.  shells of themselves a poem by Jean Watermeyer, after Xolisa Ngubelanga I tried to find any word from a first-generation slave -- stolen.  There was nothing there. I tried to think  what I have from my great greatgreat grandmother that I might not have if she had been born elsewhere. I must admit that most of our history begins after the war, climbing a scenery established before. I

Below, I have tried to compile a complete and up-to-date list of local ways for South African writers to get their english-language poetry published. In compiling this list, I have built on Arthur Attwell's helpful page . Please contact me if you know of something I've missed. First, the bad news. The following magazines are no longer releasing new issues: Aerodrome, Carapace , Itch , Kotaz (as far as I can tell) and Prufrock.   As far as I know, poetry magazines have always had a high turnover, due mainly to lack of funding.  It's sad to see these go, and we can only hope that they will soon be replaced by other similar publications.  The good news: South African poetry magazines and other platforms still accepting submissions: Botsotso - Accepts submissions year-round, looking for "art that is of and about the varied cultures and life experiences of people in South Africa – as expressed in all our many languages." Publishes "irregularly," but at least