Slowly he moves
to and fro, to and fro,
then faster and faster
he swishes up and down.
His blue shirt
billows in the breeze like a tattered kite
The world whirls by:
east becomes west,
north turns to south;
the four cardinal points
meet in his head.
Mother! Where did I come from?
When will I wear long trousers?
Why was my father jailed?
Oswald Mtshali (born 1940) South Africa
Source: Advocate Olpet
I find this poem so reflective of South African people's experiences in the then Apartheid policy.
ReplyDeleteYes Iike it
DeleteAfter 8 years since I graduated from high school I still can’t forget about the poem it brings me lot of memories about friends much especially my literature teacher Mr Cummings
DeleteThis poem just brought alot of memory
ReplyDeleteAwwwweee
ReplyDeleteApertheid
I was taught this poem 10years ago
ReplyDeleteThe last three questions in the last stanza is very emotional and heart touching.
ReplyDeleteI will never forget this poem.
ReplyDeleteI just had to look for this poem again....I learnt this poem 7 years ago and yet still very vivid in mind. Hmm...great poem
ReplyDeleteThis poem is emotional and at thesame time the most loved among the poems I've read.
ReplyDeleteThe last stanza is very touching.
Thank you for your comment. I am so sorry that you feel unable to forgive the white people. There is no doubt that the injustice done to black people in South Africa (and other African states) was wrong. But forgiveness is the pathway to healing on both sides, I believe. If you can't forgive, then you can't be healed either.
ReplyDeleteIt is 👌
DeleteThis poem is touching especially the last stanza
ReplyDeleteEnter your comment..."To and Fro, To and Fro" the story of our world. Osward, the man who fought with pen.
ReplyDeleteMy number 1 poem along with "ambassadors of poverty"
ReplyDeleteIt now refers to our so called leaders
North South East and West now samething
They are full of same wicked behavior but in different methods
I like the boy he quickly realize what life is before it's too late
Ambassadors of Poverty is the best bro, then Homeless Not Hopeless
DeleteI love anonymous and synonyms
DeleteThose rhetorical question so of the last stanza it's what makes me love the whole poem
ReplyDeleteThis poem does not speak to our leaders or the political elite but its also portrait the suffering children staying with people just to have shelter and wish to be an important person tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThis is so emotional and I think my country is still a victim of this poem ,Biafra struggle
ReplyDeleteI was thought this poem during my college ten years ago,
ReplyDeleteThe poem speaks of a greater volume, certainly in regret and pain, the only desire we've as kids, we've never gotten and yet none has been able to provide those three answers till date.
It's so painful though, that even time has found it difficult to heal.
I will like to Olso sah the poem
DeleteMe to
DeleteI read this poem in my ss1 and I still enjoy reading it.
ReplyDeleteGoing by this poem, i still hate the African leaders.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of 1013 I miss this stage
ReplyDeleteGod bless my literature teachers
One of the best I read back in my childhood ❤️ also the fence, homeless not hopeless, ambassador of poverty..God bless
ReplyDeleteI will never forget this poem,I was though this poem 13 years ago
ReplyDeleteA nice poem.
ReplyDeleteThis very important
ReplyDeleteHello "Anonymous" - yes, by all means you can give me a poem, though I can't promise to, post it here. Just post the link to it in your reply.
ReplyDeleteThe poem is very good 💯 and Emotional ðŸ˜
ReplyDeleteWhere are the background of the poem
ReplyDeleteAfter 8 years I still read it
ReplyDeleteThis poems reminds me of my high school days. My literature teacher Mr. Agboola loved the hell out of it. Dawn days.
ReplyDeleteI love this picture poem so much
ReplyDelete