Here Is A Gertrude Sneeze Number Five Poem by Sarah Mkhonza

The fees of my uncle Mark, son
Of Gertrude have not been paid.
Guess who is knocking on the door
To fight about this?

She tells us that if my mother
Wants to stay at our homestead,
She had better make sure that
The fees are paid, for no grand
child of Isaac will have to leave
School because of money. For money
Was never an issue in the house of
Her father. The only problem is
that 'rats and mince' have come to
Live on the money and are now causing
Members of the clan to walk about naked.

The struggle to control the money
And distribute it fairly lies heavily
On the back of my dad, for he does
Not like the bickering, because he knows
The cause is that my aunt does not like
My mother.

My father always lives a life of wondering
When the next request will appear on his
Window for now the papers are no longer
Shoved under the door.

My aunt now collects these from all the
Members of the clan so that my dad can
Be sure to treat all of the people equally.
All by herself she speaks and shouts
Amounts in the air which is also
Going berserk for it wonders what on earth
Happened to these people whose sums of
Money need to be heard by the whole world,
Which will soon turn into a Japanese berserk.