A Poem by Shepherd Mandhlazi

They arrive by the truckload
Violonce unleashed on innocents
Baton sticks and booted feet
teargas ready

Why are you gathered?
What are you planning?
Planning to overthrow
A "democratically elected government" ?

We shall speak
We shall rise
We shall say
Enough is enough.

The ask
We scatter
Our stomachs rumbling
When was the last meal?

Friends Brutalised
Some hospitalised
For speaking out
But we shall speak.