Demons Poem by Thabani Khumalo

ENCOUNTERS WITH DEMONS, MAZANDA –
MY TENDER FATED ME TO ON MY DATE OF BIRTH -
SHE REALLY CONDEMNED ME DULY; DEARLY DID SHE - MAMA.

HALLOWED NOT BE THE NAME OF JEYI.
LONG LIVE NOT HE – THE KING OVER MY PEOPLE,
HE - THE JUDAS AGAINST I THE JESUS IN THIS BIT,
FOR, ALL EVIL, HE DOES COCOON IN SHOEL.

I PRICKED ME GRUELINGLY,
HEARTILY GRUELINGLY -
DEEPLY BY THE SHARP EDGE OF AN INTIMIDATING DAGGER
AT THE NIGHT’S REST
TRYING TO PUT ME AT PEACE – AT PEACE WITHOUT END –
ETERNALLY AT EASY EASE
BUT THE NOISE OF INFANTS BLARING OUT
OF VISIONS OF UNVEILED GHOSTS
ASTONISHED ME ALIVE IN THE RISE OF THE DAYLIGHT HOUR,
THAT TO DATE,
I SUFFER DRAWING EACH SINGLE GUZZLE OF AGONIZING WIND.
I SWEAR, I WISH I WERE DECEASED.

THEY MOVE TOWARD ME AND ERECT THEIR GRAVE STONES
IN MY TRANSITORY PATH TO GLORY;
BROOD OF SERPENTS
DELIGHT IN THE VISIONS OF THE STENCH,
STEAMED COOKING FOR THEM TO FEED,
TO SINK THEIR CANINE TEETH ON BOILED SOUL, YET
PROMISING ME AFFLICTED AFFECTION AND MORAL CONCERN
THAT IS IDENTICAL TO THAT
FROM THE ERA OF YORE.

I AM PRESSED TO DESTROY AND CONFINE LIFE
UNDER TIME ENDURING STONE AND
THAT ALL IS GOING TO BE FINE WHEN
BEREAVEMENT HAS BEEN EXALTED PERPETUALLY –
PERPETUALLY EXALTED ABOVE LIFE.
MY SOUL CRIES VAINLY,
VENTING ALL THE TROUBLES OF THE HEART TO MY REST TIME.

AS PER SE THEY CONSIGN ME TO THE BROTHERS OF SKIN –
THE MAN OF COLOUR TO YOKE ME MENTALLY –
TO SURF ON MY SOUL AND SPIRIT, LESSENING ME
TO RETAIN WORD AND MAKE PUBLIC A PLEA FOR ALL TIME,
FOR GOD TO PARDON MY ERROR FOREVERMORE.