Advice For Sages Poem by Jabulani Mzinyathi

in the trenches together yesterday
burying comrades in shallow graves
burying kith and kin in shallow graves
the tree of freedom by blood watered
the supreme sacrifice that was

today at each others' throats
when did the derailment start
today turned into water and oil
a square peg in a round hole
the difference between night and day

now the fish in the throes of death
having been long out of water
when was the freedom train derailed
on the tracks the gravy train taking its place
the liberation train must be back on tracks