Bringing Forth
Eve was there
Alone
She had no need for another
She was full breasted
And she lay in the garden
And seeded herself
And her milk made her happy
Eve after Eve after Eve
But when the moon was full and red
A warring rod and whirling light
Disturbed her womb
Till a hard-muscled child pushed out
And so Eve made Adam
Made herself and unmade herself
Made a man to stand
Beside and against her
It is never quiet in the garden
There is always vibration
And still Eve lies alone
Bringing forth Adam after Adam after Adam
Knock- knock
Thut-thut
Can you see him?
The trees are close
Thut-thut
Stop talking
Thut-thut
Time to stop talking
Look up
Listen
Thut-thut
To the woodpecker
Knocking
Knock-ing
Listen!
Listen
To the thut-thut
Trunk
Echo
Echo-ing
With that woodpecker’s
Knock-ing
Shh
Stop talking!
Listen
To the thut-thut
Thut
Knock
Knock
Knock-ing
no one is safe
that’s the one t-shirt
Freedom Dignity
another
in the street
young boys play soccer with a rolled up raincoat
wait for passing cars to get out the way
older majitas slouch by the spaza shop
three toothless women on the stairs
let them suck the baby’s milk
and there is music
relentless beat
there is always music coming from the shebeen
in the garage in Phuza Mansions
where an old man shuffles by with his empties
you know those three in the basement of Cinnamon Court
he buys them airtime if they’ll visit
discretely
across the road from the hair salon
the abandoned building where the homeless
make use of the ceiling
lights up every night
the flicker of these fires
fires the imagination
NO ONE IS SAFE FROM THE GANG THAT COMES
OVER THE WALLS
the old man shuffles
sees rats tails on the kitchen tiles
repeats reports about urban decay
the media broadcast his policy:
no surrender to the mafias
foreigners ARE responsible
the boys playing soccer do not see the official sedan
steers it away from the scene
lucky there is no one to video the panties on the car seat
the mayor’s open bottle of heavenly spirits
neck broken on impact
the oldest boy is crying
the ball has popped and the game exploded
now clouds shade the street
and as the weather turns
the old man shares his wisdom
he is a guy who dreams
he confirms
no one is safe
but the biggest crooks are the white collar brigade
who sell you insurance
there’s no point trying
to play safe
by living in a safe