The Inheritance

[CUT Poetry Association]

Written By Thabo ‘Papiki’ Moloi

Only time will tell;

 how our efforts were sunk—

Tearful,

dreaded mind lockdown

Was it me? was it you?

Or those things we never did:

Cry and bow down to the tombstones

of our Forefathers

From which I inherit:

Setso sa Basotho

Bana ba thari e ntsho.

Great variation of genes—

Mother-to-daughter,

Father-to-son

And vice versa

Eo ke yona meetlo ya rona

Ooh! yet again: these mind interrupters;

Come and defuse

The already intricated minds—

Fallen from great power of demons…

We watch upon

sethepu se theolang boikgantsho

Ba bomme ba rona

Yes:

the lost generation

beneath Sotho Culture ‘followers’

E seng bana ba thesele

Oh God forgive this lost tribe

E seng bana ba Moshweshwe

Tlotla ke e lebisa ho Basotho ba Lesotho:

Who stood up on the hills,

Maqhama a bopilwe

Tshebediso ya majwe ho pitla,

the power mis-using

Independence violators

Oh power to your royal highness!

Ke apere kobo ya boikgohomoso;

Whether hot or cold,

Ka Modianyewe e seng hoba ke le kgotla

Empa hoba ke ikgantsha ka setso saka.

Bana ba thari ntsho bona ba o tseba moetlo,

Ea boo ke re KHOTSO, PULA NALA.

Copyright © Thabo Moloi 2011