Mama Poem by Phillip Nine Mafunga

Mama I wish you would see me now
I have grown to be a man, mama
Your grandchildren are beautiful mama
You would have been proud of me, mama

The music is loud, young girls screaming, booze everywhere
Mama, they have guns and smoke bombs
The dance moves, mama, are eerie
They are killing us mama; I wish you were here

Mama I would have liked to write to you about what a man I have become
But they have guns pointed at me and I cannot see their faces mama
I would have written to you about my job, but the money is worth nothing
They are blaming them without knees mama

A long time ago when dad was away you made promises mama
Dad was away on a mission to bring freedom and peace for us
Mama, I see dad potbellied now with small girls
Mama dad is now supping with those without knees

Mama, they are killing us for telling them we are hungry
I wish you were here maybe dad would hear you
My sister was defiled, and my cousin has no marked grave up to now
I hear rumours mama, plenty rumours that it was dad's people

Mama I would have wanted to write to you about plenty good things
But mama they have whips, salted whips
Our young people have run away like when we were young
They descend on us like bees leaving some us unaccounted for

Phillip Nine Mafunga
26 September 2019