City

By MXOLISI NYEZWA

i have lived to discover a city, an open road,
a bucket of milk, and two gentle doves.
i have discovered in myself
two frightened birds with miles of dirt road to fly.

in the forest hills spiders and black dogs clamoured.
in the corpses of yellow flowers
a rainbow spun across a darkened sky.

i lived in a street where girls with dark eyes sang,
birds with their wings welcomed a harsh rain.

Mxolisi Nyezwa is founder and editor of Kotaz, now in its fourteenth year.

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