My Voice

HEAR MY VOICE!

My voice defies all critics.

I turn simple words of this white man’s language to fine lyrics,

I speak in rhyme controversially for five minutes,

And change your whole life ten seconds before I finish.

So let me finish,

Let me exceed my limits,

Let me use my god given talents to educate,

Educate by saying that these words I speak I dedicate,

I dedicate to my people’s wounds of the past that I medicate.

My voice medicates.

To the weak in speaking

My words in bringing,

Bring a powerful feeling of amazing lyrical healing.

HEAR MY VOICE!

My voice defies all critics.

My blood is filled with the force of the saints that I mimic,

I dread the principles of this world that I live in,

I’m surrounded by people who choose to die sinning.

Do I die sinning?

Do I deny my feelings?

Do I discard of infants in bins wrapped in fine linen?

Fine linen, which covers the bruises, because I beat my women?

My women, who need good loving like, the soft touch of a violinist.

My voice is a violinist.

For the sadness I play,

Beautiful music through the words that I say,

and the sadness on the present day to the music gives way

HEAR MY VOICE!

My voice defies all critics.

All the critics who criticise long lines of aids clinics,

Self-righteous hypocrites who hide their own gimmicks,

Like those who’d rather criticise than admit the potency of my rhythm.

Will you follow my rhythm?

Will you follow the life that I’m living?

Will you follow the legacy I profess to stress if I die tonight?

If I die tonight, I die knowing that two wrongs don’t make it right,

Make it right, cliché, I say, real men preserve life.

My voice preserves life.

In living longer,

The centre of our being becomes stronger,

Stronger, with strength, so deep in our souls, rooted, we suffer no longer.

SO HEAR MY VOICE!

AND THEN HEAR ME

***

*Words by Mawetu Mselana

*Photograph by Arno Breedt

4 Responses to “My Voice”

1. mike says:

   May 5, 2010 at 7:06 pm

   I hear your voice
2. HERMIEN says:

   May 28, 2010 at 8:10 am

   I CAN SEE YOUR TEARS AND FEEL YOUR PAIN WHICH IS MINE TOO..
3. HERMIEN says:

   June 12, 2010 at 2:53 pm

   want to look at the world through `sunny eyes`?
   go to UIT MY ATELJEE ernaskryf.blogspot.com and press button to translate. my studio`s door is always open for anyone who needs some time alone… (if i may?)

   Love you all!

   Hermien
4. HERMIEN says:

   July 24, 2010 at 5:22 pm

   SUDDENLY YOU ARE ALL SO QUIET?…