Beautiful Death Poem by Thabani Khumalo

WHEN IT ALL FAILS.
POISONOUS PALLETS AND POWDERS HAD FAILED,
PRAYERS WERE AS VAIN AS WISHES WERE DEAD,

I WAS FOUND ON A PROTRUDING TREE BRANCH
WITH A FASTENED NOOSE AROUND MY NECK.
I SAT ON THE TREE UNTIL THE VERY LAST SECOND OF MY SET DEADLINE

AND THEN I LET GO BECAUSE I DID'NT WANT TO SEE THE SUN
RISE TO THE FULLNESS OF ANOTHER INGLORIOUS DAY.
I WAS DYING TO THE WITNESS OF NATURE AND BREEZE

BUT THEN AGAIN, JUST LIKE IT HAD HAPPENED BEFORE,
THE ROPE BROKE AND I CRASH-LANDED.
ONE DAY - I ALMOST HAD A BEAUTIFUL DEATH ONE DAY.

I HAD HAD IT WITH RUNNING AND I WANTED TO REST FROM MY MISERY,
STILL I STAND, YET AGAIN. YES. STILL I STAND
I HAVE HAD IT WITH ANSWERS BEING MY NAGGING PROBLEMS

WHICH IS WHAT HAVE KEPT ME SLAVING FOREVER
AND I HAVE UNDERSTOOD THAT THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE ANSWERS
CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROBLEM AND A PROBLEM SO LARGE.

SO LONG THERE IS WORK, THERE IS A PROBLEM TOO
AND I AM NOT PROTECTED FROM THIS HARMFUL WISDOM. IT IS TRUE
THAT I ALMOST HAD A BEAUTIFUL DEATH ONE DAY.

TWO SUICIDES IN A SHORT SPACE OF TIME ARE NOT EASY
BUT I HAD IT AS MY RECOURSE BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN
THE CAUSE OF EVERY PROBLEM UNDER HEAVEN,

IT IS THE MOST UNTHINKABLE AND THE UN-REPROACHABLE DUE TO BLINDNESS.
I REMAIN WITH SCARS FROM THOUGHT, I RETAIN A SPIRIT OF A CELESTIAL MAGNITUDE.
NOTHING PROTECTS ME FROM THE PAIN OF THIS WISDOM. IT IS TRUE
THAT I ALMOST HAD A BEAUTIFUL DEATH ONE DAY.