Conversation with South African Poets - 1: Xolisa Ngubelanga

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 can't get over the culpability
that comes between us -- 
my grandmother had "staff" and 
Victorian high-back chairs.
I also grew up accepting the 
portrait of a person -- 
it didn't matter who was there.












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