Staffrider Vol.6 No.2 1985 - DISA

Norman Ramuswogwana Tshikovha^#bu were a stranger and they took you i inTo my friend and patron Rashaka Frank Ratshitangayou were a strangerand they took you inand when i heard the newsi scarce could believe my earsi hope they welcomed youeven when i was not therei believe they to youa hand of friendship extendedand even patted your backfor ever you were workaholici learned to know youworking the Univen gardenthe deathly '83 droughtnever dampening thefuelled flame of your spiritsand the beginning of '84i saw your strugglesplanting the green turfin the varsity soccer fieldi learned to know your figureyour form and your shapeyour shabby clothesthe bushy black beardyour registered trade-markyour unrefined appearanceand your spectaclesnow i will miss youinside your closed cellwhere you are trappeda hare in a snareyou are cagedyour mouth is shuttightyou are silencedwhy is the questionbecause is the answerreason it yourselfyou may get an answermine is a ?i hope you are wellwherever you areand were you ever sorethe day they took you into be their visitor?i hope even nowyou are not bittermy childish innocencelabels you 'not criminal'this innocent songi sing to you:you were a stangerand they took you inand when i heard the newsi scarce could believe my earsNorman Ramuswogwana Tshikov!la^he black spotsthere are too many of themblackspots quite too manysquatters' campsmass removalsresistance movementsblackspot in Sophiatownblackspot Langa Capeblackspotted Mogopathe blackspots that stainthe pure whitenessof the white angrygluttonous leopardessthe pure white S.A.a leopard without spots?Norman Ramuswogwana Tshikovham•hey have themselvesto blameBranches in the height of spirngbending and tossingas the wind calls the tunereeds in flooded riversas if bowing in prayerhearken to the call of waves.All life's pitiable creaturesalways on their kneesin humble submissionnever daring to complainhave themselves to blame.Norman Ramuswogwana Tshikovh*1 sing this song toall who trust othersdis song i sing to dem everybodydem dat faith on oders havedem dat even one in darkest moments trustwhen all life's hopes are very bleakdis song i sing to dem dat trust odersto dem dat are by gossips not betrayedto dem dat are by defamation not misledto dem dat condemns after dey have trieddis song i sing to dem everybodydem dat oders wid responsibilities trustdem dat widout doubt faith in oders havewhen all oders have oders libelleddis song i sing to dem dat never brushesoders aside as if dey from leprosy sufferseven widout deir diagnosis of de carriersdem dat not oders let in isolation livedis song i sing to dem everybodyto dem dat never feeble tings despisesto dem dat from fickle tings never retreatto dem dat closest to oders livedis song i sing for de fewde chosen few of all life's multitudesfor individuals dat for oders ever caresdis song i sing derefore to demNorman Ramuswogwana TshikovhaSTAFFRIDER, VOL. 6 NO. 2, 19S5 37