Poetry: I Lament My Death

A girl child is conceived,
joy, laughter, and tambourines. 
Brown-skinned, flawless—impeccable!
Kissed by the sun, such immaculate beauty.

Eternal strength oozes from within her;
long-suffering is her stature.
Her heart is tougher than iron, but
as gentle as a dove.

How long, oh Lord? How long?
My eyes spill sadness, which I cannot hide.
Draw me away! Asseverate death.
Why did I not die at birth?

Weeping in silence, fragranced in agony.
I follow the footsteps of the flock.
Feed my excruciation, my wretched affliction.
Oh, why do the rotten go unpunished?

Sweet death! My sincerest love;
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
for gender-based violence is as strong as the grave and south africa has left me here to die.

To those I leave behind: please don’t cry for me, 
I’m just another statistic—
feeble…faded…
forgotten!

Bathabile Masilela