Her Story ~ Siyabonga Dlamini

She suffers...
She suffers alone...
Her mind is forever clouded with pain...death....
This is not a poem...
this is her story...

Her spirit is broken...
Her will is crushed beyond comprehension...
mine and yours...
even her own...
this is not a poem...
this is her story...

She spends her nights sleepless and in pain...
Confused...
Her mind a war zone...
trapped...
alone...
scared...
this is not a poem...
this is her story...
She sees blood everytime her eyes close...
Her heart,soul and body are dying slowly....
Claustrophobic in her spirit...
She screams but no one seems to be listening...
Slowly suffocating...
Not much life remains behind...
this is not a poem...
this is her story...

Watching her pass slowly...
My hands tied and my mind in a frenzy...
I cannot help her...
She screams but through the glass I cannot reach her...
Broken to a point of no return she dies before my eyes...
She slowly accepts her fate but I don't think I can easily let her pass...
this is not a poem...
this is her story...

The tears I try to wipe from my eyes and hers...
Her spirit I try to restore...
I try to put my arms around her...
but all seems futile...
She seems to be too far in for me to reach...
trapped in a far corner deep in her mind...
weeping and hopeless...
this is not a poem...
this is her story...

If ever the visions come to pass and her flesh turns to blood and her bones to dust...
If ever her spirit leaves this realm and disappears to nothing...
If ever she is taken from me too soon...
I will spend the rest of my days in constant confusion and suffering....
Dying more and more each day...
Sitting next to her grave until I am also... no more...
I cannot begin to explain her worth...
Or the value of her presence...
only that she lives in my mind through thick or thin....
even through death...
this is not a poem....
this is our story...



© Siyabonga Dlamini

Matriculant 2016

Master ~ Siyabonga Dlamini

It would be a lie to call you different from the others...
Disrespectful of me to even compare you to such...
If it wasn't the bright spark in your cinnamon coloured eyes then it was your caressing touch...
The African drums in my heart beating faster and faster...
And the way you could make my inner demons bow down and call you "Master"...



© Siyabonga Dlamini

Matriculant 2016

For Love ~ Two poems by Siyabonga Dlamini

...For Love...

I've tried....
I've tried...
Countless times I've tried to please you...
to be like you...
but it's too much...
I guess dark demons attract bright souls
but I often find myself wondering if there's still anything bright within my spirit?...
The luminous spark you so untimely ripped from my being like a new born...
thrown into the darkness...
My heart you blackened and struck
with each tip of the sharp words spearing from your lips...
Excuses are hurtful but false promises slander and destroy beyond comprehension...
You've left me broken and shattered just as you had found me..
but maybe worse...
maybe even more confused than before...
so let me heal myself and be whole once and for all...
My excuse is that I did it all for love...
Don't cry for me...
Don't try to save me...
for as I say all this I am already swimming in my own blood...

...Drip drop...

It flows down my wrist...
Warm and tickling my palm then my fingertips...
yet the sting on the wrist and the throbbing of the veins doesn't stop...
it's colour captivating and bright as it starts to decay...
I've never felt more alive...



© Siyabonga Dlamini

Matriculant 2016

The Meet ~ Marlize van der Merwe

At first he was a stranger.
He didn't know what to say.
Two smiles just crossed the room
Not a word to say.
Silence.
Every second felt like forever
And forever felt like a second
Words were thrown out with no worries

They felt like enemies
Turning into loved ones.
The more they spoke
The closer he moved in.

One simple look turned into a kiss.
They exchanged a
Sweet. Flawless. Real. Kiss

No words were said after.
Only stares were left off.
The two were silent
They felt like eternal friends,
That can't be broken apart.
Not now
Not ever.

The two become strangers once again
Were never found.
She felt lost
She felt alone
She felt like no one could ever replace him
Not even her boyfriend.

©  Marlize van der Merwe

The Day I Stopped Wearing Black ~ Varisha Jugamohan

I wore black and you wore blue
We are opposites that’s true
I have seen many colours, but blue is my favourite
That’s because you’re a true blue.
Blue is the colour of the sea and sky
Everything seemed to lie, because my world used to be black and white
Until you became the highlighter of my life.
You were the paint that adorned those mundane walls which held me hostage
You even painted a window to let sunshine in.

I was terrified to be apart
One drop of paint landed on my empty heart
Which was your reminder that you would never leave me.
I didn’t notice how consumed I was by my addiction of you
Until I stopped wearing black and started wearing blue..

I wore blue and you wore blue
You swore love and I swore forever
Opposites no more
As true love stood by our side forevermore.


© Varisha Jugamohan

***
Grade 11
***

The Sorrowful Breaking Point ~ Marlize van der Merwe

When is breaking point needed?
You feel like breaking and shouting
You feel like your anger is slowly building
Ready to explode
Not with angry words being let out
But with tears
Your anger can not be let out with words
Nor with silence
Dropping as a acid firm
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Hitting the closest would surface
Building the acid tears into a pool
A sorrowful acid pool

It is done
The damage is done
The breaking point is complete
Broken inside but fixed out
The final hurting point has come


© Marlize van der Merwe

Ashes of Regretful Pain ~ Mangaliso Xaba

Looking back at the times that we had
Beginning to notice what I did to you was bad.
You have always been beside me
But I just didn’t take the time to see.
The guilty conscious seeps deep into my soul
As it is so dark and can be compared to coal.

I am dearly sorry, that it had to come to this.
To me, giving you a bruise just gave me peace,
I needed you to know who wears the pants in the house.
Every time I had to fold my fist, I forgot that you were my spouse.

I am dearly sorry, that it had to come to this.
I never meant to break your heart into pieces.
I wish I could have understood all your wishes,
Maybe I wouldn’t be standing here talking to your ashes.

I am dearly sorry, that it had to come to this.
I am truly going to miss you.
You did not deserve all the abuse.
May your soul rest in peace.


Mangaliso Mthandazi Xaba [Mangz Nation]

***
Grade 11
***

Mountain ~ Alex Nyathi

I am a mountain
A crisp winter's night
June
I am criticized for being myself, lonesome
Reaching heights one can only dream of
Simply to escape the concrete jungle chaos
I am natural evolution

Looking down on my problems, the ones who disagree
Like a snow flake they fall, drifting into the darkness
I have no need for the brief highs and devastating lows of drugs
Or the endless but seemingly dissatisfying celebration of the nights

Because the only way to forever be high is to reach the summit
I have my dreams, my 'once upon a times'
I am shielded by the same ambitions I am criticized for
I am a mountain


©  Alex Nyathi

***
Grade 9
***

Pain ~ Uwais Osman

I am a gasp of pain
A midwinter's close of day
An entity bound by a single chain
August;
I am trepidus
Ascension of astral ashes with no assent
Nor a need to ascertain
I am a gasp of pain
I am a heave of suffering

I have forsaken conflict
Walked away from it yet still invict
Inverted insults into intriguing intuition
I have no need of control or restraint
With my withered wrath and wretched rage
I have my calm conceptions
And napalm perceptions
I am shielded by the mind's terrain
I am a gasp of pain


©  Uwais Osman

***
Grade 9
***

Revival ~ Zuhairraa Sardiwalla

I am revival
Autumn
In the park
February
I am rebirth
"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness
close bosom friend of the maturing son"*
I am revival

I have built gardens
Millions of seeds lie in moist soil
Gardens that no man may destroy
I have no need of the past because
From the ashes come nothing
I have my art and clay
I am shielded by my self worth
I am revival


© Zuhairaa Sardiwalla

***
Grade 9
***

*John Keats

Stolen Memories & Other Poems ~ Uwais Coetzee

STOLEN MEMORIES

The memories we made
were ours to keep.
And dream up new ones when
we went to sleep.
Happy ones , sad ones,
ones to cherish forever.
We kept them with us
and forgot them never.
Not even when we spoke less
And were talking like we didn't know.
Acting like strangers
Like together we didn't grow.
Maybe I was the one growing,
and you simply moved on.
I slowly realized the truth.
We'd never started but we were done.
Finished before beginning
That's a sad way to say it.
Although it's a sad experience
So the description is fit.
Our memories slipped ,
Into the space where you stood.
You walked and
Started looking good.
You were happier
I was alone.
But I never complained
I'd never moan.
Just a fake smile
To make things seen okay
but I wasn't
When alone I lay.
You left me thinking ,
about everything that day.
You stole our memories
when you walked away



WHERE THINGS WERE DIFFERENT

we wanted a place
where things were different
where crying was normal
and tears were understood.
we wanted a place
where the screams were silence
where the lies were truth
and where love didn't hurt.
we wanted a place
where we could be us
where they could be them
where You could be Mine.
but that place didn't exist ,
the one where we were happy,
where people could understand
without needing to speak.
where the silence spoke volumes
and depression was joy
where tears stayed in our eyes
and didn't have to leave.
we looked and looked
for that different place ,
different like us ,
where I could hide my face.
where nobody would look
for my reasons for being sad
because here my reason is unexplained
but they don't understand that.
they don't understand.
some things are best left alone.
some rocks don't need uncovering.
some boxes don't need opening.
some days
don't need smiles.
And sometimes
just sometimes
we find this different place
where our sadness is normal
and you live at your pace.
where all the people have one thing in common
the common thing being our differences.
where we don't question our change.
don't question us on anything.
where some boxes are left closed
and some days don't have smiles.
where here you aren't judged
for sobbing on the tiles.
for wanting silence
and to live at your own pace.
for silence is all we'd hear
in this oh so different place.



ONCE UPON A TIME

Once upon a time
Before we got old
When we lived the summer
And hated the cold.
When we smiled all the time
and crying was for the weak
and times in class
were nothing but bleak.
Once upon a time
When we were free
when you could try anything
that you could see
when you were friends with everybody
and everyone could play
and nobody worried
about the things you'd say.
How times have changed
Like the leaves on the tree.
And the only person I could truly trust
was me.
I stood for what I wanted
But I stood alone.
And everyone suddenly
Became a drone.
We lived our lives
Seeking the cold
And crying was normal.
Or so we were told.
Now nobody is constant
And everything will change.
If you try to capture the past
suddenly you're too deranged.
Now people don't care
About the one who stands alone.
People don't care
About the one they had to trust.
People don't care about you.
They don't care.
Now they walk around
With hearts all bare
But smiling faces.
Like they don't care.
They go to school
Go home
And leave you there standing
Alone.
Once upon a time
When happiness was mine.
Once upon a time
When things were fine.


©  Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 11
***

Alone & Other Poems ~ Uwais Coetzee

ALONE

You try to make me feel
like you're there through everything
But I know what's real
I'm just that lonely king.
The king of my world
Because I'm alone in it
and have no one to talk to and nothing to do
Except on my throne sit.
I lie here everyday with
headphones on but nothing playing.
Because the music simply brings the words
That remind me of my pain.
It's simply my fate to be alone in this world
There's not much I can do.
So I'll sit here alone with my thoughts
I'll do me and you do you.
Nothing will ever change
I'll always be the same.
That one lonely person
Who never wins the game.
Who stays inside and ignores everyone
In the fear of getting hurt more.
But however I avoid it , it will always be
That my heart will be sore.
I like to think that you care
And maybe you'll show it some day.
But until then I'll be alone and
I'll always feel this way.
The only person I know truly
is me ,myself and I.
I'll probably live that way
Until the day I die.
This loneliness is everywhere
Through every tendon and every bone.
I guess life isn't meant to be shared.
I guess I'll live it alone.

THE SKY

We wanted to be the sky
and be stared at with awe.
The wholly perfect atmosphere
without a single flaw.
We wanted to ride the clouds
to find today's lost dreams.
To discover so many new things
our minds would burst at the seams.
But sometimes we were the storms.
On the other side of the silver lining.
The rain drops were our tears ,
when we were silently crying.
Silence until the thunder slowly followed
like the "Childhood is fun" talk from dad.
Little does he know that childhood is over
Or is this simply our version where our birthday wish was not to be sad.
We wanted to be the sky
And look down upon the rest of the Earth.
Have them look at us , for once
and not the other way around , since birth.
"You can be whatever you want" and
"Follow your dreams" they said.
We wanted to be the sky but we're simply
It's reflection in our tear stained bed.

REMEMBER

One day when this is over
When were old and turning grey
We'll remember the summers the autumns , the springs
The cold winters in May.
Molded by time, we'll be forced to learn
And gain new memories.
We'll remember the family holidays,
The weeks we spent by the sea.
We'll remember the good things and the bad
When we look back and really try.
We'll be those old people who sit and remember
With the tears in our eyes.
As I think ahead to what I'll remember.
I think only of the now.
Will I remember the pains and aches ?
Will I remember the fakes and heartbreaks?
I survive but will I remember the how ?
My thoughts stay preoccupied
About how things will never be.
I think about what I'll think about
When I'm old and struggle to see.
I think about you and how you never stayed
You walked and wanted to be free.
When we're old and turning grey
Will you remember me ?



©  Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 11
***

Mangaliso Xaba ~ Two Poems

STORYLINE

The pain I’ve ever felt
Comes back to haunt me every now and then.
The sad stories I’ve ever kept,
Are leading me closer to a lion’s den.
The pressure that I have dealt
Keeps adding weight upon my strength.
Am I still living life
Or I’m just not living right?
Even with my eyes closed
My emotions still pose.
Even with a crowd
My face is always in a frown.
Is this life fair
Or is it just a nightmare?
Nobody seems to ever care
Because nobody can ever dare
To live my life, as it is not a funfair.
PILLS and POTIONS roaming in my mind,
Am I next in the suicidal line?
Is there ever going to be a soul to remember this life of mine?

I MISS HER

Being without her feels like I’ve lost an important key
She said I should move on and let me and her be.
That pained like an open wound being seasoned by a breeze,
It’s still too difficult for me to find peace.
She tells me her man can afford her a weave
And I’m just  a schoolboy bugging her like a bee.
I tell her that her relationship is not based on Love but on a spree,
She thinks she’s made it in Love but she is not free.
I should be intimidated by her as she’s always on fire
But my Love for her is too deep, she’s my desire.



© Mangaliso Xaba a.k.a. MangzNation

***
Grade 11
***

Gripes ~ Gugu Buthelezi

Taking a look at my life
Unfairness is the only thing I see.
Full of being spurned and strife
I should just have a cup of tea.
The way mistakes are treated
Makes me consider changing my behaviour.
But I should suffer in silence
If I am to be our nation's savior.
Shout out to all those that put my
Heart in a cast
Because on this hit list not only are you next,
you're last.


©  Gugu Buthelezi

***
Grade 12
***

Beautiful World ~ Nash Aniruth

The sound of the hills
Awakens the city below
The ambient cry of an infant
Marking the rebirth of a new day
New beginnings
New hope
New rays radiate through the
Clouds
Bringing with them an aura of
Positivity and life
Which engulfs the city as it lays...
Like a staircase into heaven...
Ascending to the highest points of no return, blocking out the sunshine.
They stand above it all...
Extending their gaze upon the beauty of creation as
The millipedes crawl over the streets below
Their bodies glistening silver in the sun.
Doves taking flight overhead
Leave with them a trail of joy in the atmosphere.
Oh, isn't it beautiful?
The children, inhaling the vapours of this world into their lungs.
The beggar at the traffic light, now absent of dignity.
The man on the street, grey as a cadaver.
Yet they stand above it all...
Taking in the carcinogens to feel numb...
Oh, what a beautiful world it is.


© Nash Aniruth

***
Matriculant 2016
***

Burning Bridges ~ Nolulama Msomi

We're too close to the end now,
Even through the tempests
Our ship has almost sailed now
We're world's apart
What was it like before:
When the days felt bright
shorter, and
True.
That was then.

Change. You have changed.
Things have changed, you changed.
Can you remember?
In the past bridges were made out of wood.
What is yours made out of now?


©  Nolulama Msomi


***
Grade 12
***

Faded Love ~ Mangaliso Xaba

We have lost communication
I have lost her attention
On the day I focused on the nation.
She gave me a probation
But the word love I didn’t mention.
She now lives in a mansion
She gave birth to her daughter by a C-section
She left me in a shack at Ezakheni C-section.
Her life is so blessed with her new husband,
She doesn’t even want to come back to me as friend.
I have lost her attention
Because the word love I didn’t mention.


©  Mangaliso Mthandazi Xaba
(MangzNation)


***
Grade 11
***

Restless Soul ~ Mangaliso Xaba

Sitting alone in the dark at night
thinking how I can make things right
everything is just out of my might.
Dark clouds roaming in my mind,
nightmares reach me even out of sight
I keep wondering when will I ever see the light.
Every time they see me, I say I’m alright,
I’m in a facade making sure that all appears bright.
Been gambling with my life, always rolling a die
My soul keeps wondering, when the body will ever die.
Can’t wait to let the bad emotions fly sky high
and let the restless soul rest in flight.
Dark clouds roaming in my mind.
Will I ever be alright?

©  Mangaliso Mthandazi Xaba
(Mangz Nation)

***
Grade 11
***

Stolen Glances ~ Uwais Coetzee

Those secretive moments
when our eyes just seem to meet.
And then as if by habit
you shyly look at your feet.
Those chilly morning talks
before we walk our separate ways,
are the moments I look forward to on
most of my days.
Those stolen glances with you
are all I seem to get.
But because they're with you
I'll enjoy them without regret.
We both have feelings
we can hardly explain.
But we've both lost something
Yet I know that we can gain.
Gain happiness, gain content
gain peace in this place.
I know all this with those
glances at your face.
Those glances with you
bring hope and joy to me.
They may only take a second
but then I'm happy you see.
Those moments aren't much
but I drown in that blue.
I enjoy those Stolen Glances
simply because they're with you.


©  Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 11
***

The Coliseum ~ Taahir Sardiwalla

Time witnessed a smile
Then when happiness threatened
To reach a longing eye
It stole the little spark of hope

The hound
Salivating for
Bloody torn fibres
Ill-afforded the moment
By temptation

He is cruel in his ways
Yet he makes a being stronger
At the expense of happiness

For it is with each wind
The coliseum must bear
The colossal brunt

So I ask you this
This day
Be there when I fall


© Taahir Sardiwalla

***
Grade 12
***

Oblivion ~ Marlize van der Merwe

Its Just Another Broken Heart To Happiness

I feel so empty, so lost, so heartless
It feels like I've lost everything
I feel like I have nothing else to lose
You were the one who made me happy inside
I was the one who kept you smiling
I was your first morning text
and your last goodnight kiss
It hurts me now more than ever
the pain trapped inside forever
The words that came from you
meant nothing at the end
The words 'I Love You' was just there for pretend
Every time I see you my heart skips a beat
Because of fear, because of happiness,
because of sadness, because of anger.
But most of all because I miss
seeing you smile at me for no reason
To see you blush whenever I smile back
I miss your hugs
I miss your kisses
I miss the feeling of our hands together
I miss our cuddles
I miss our runs together
I miss our laughs and our stupid jokes
I never knew meeting you would bring so much happiness
into my life until my heart broke into a million pieces.
Yet you have a smile, while I have to hide my pain likes its a game


©  Marlize van der Merwe

***
Grade 9
***

Faceless: Five poems by Uwais Coetzee

Faceless

She flowed on thoughts of others,
never thinking on her own.
She'd always ask for opinions.
Alone she would never have flown.
She would always seek approval
in the yeses of another.
If she were at home
she'd simply ask her mother.
"Is this dress fine?" "Is my makeup good?"
"Do I look nice today?"
She relied on others for hope and smiles.
She'd have it no other way.
She wore the faces of others.
Showing her true self to no one.
She followed the crowd , like part of the herd,
if they ran , she would run.
She told no one of her inner struggles
and left the nest to fly.
But in her 18 years , she had learned nothing,
she realized with a sigh.
By following the crowd you only learn
how to run away from the truth.
Now she was seeing her real self,
like the photos from a photo booth.
She had no more friends , she was alone,
everyone had walked their own way.
She was lost, confused , because she
never lead the pack a single day.
She wore the faces of others.
Never revealing her face to the sun.
Always in the shadows of the rest,
until she picked up the gun.
It was her funeral , she was alone
and no one but the pastor came.
She was buried under a blank tombstone,
because nobody knew her name.

Darkness

As the light disappears
And the darkness is what you embrace.
No sight , no views all that's left
Is feeling on the darkness' face.

I learned from Dumbledore that
Happiness is found when we turn on the light.
But sometimes the light is gone and nothing is in sight.

When something is lost
all that's left is a hole.
No remembrance, no nothing.
Just the darkness of your soul.

When you lose all feeling
and your heart becomes lame.
You will say:"I was in the darkness,
so the darkness I became."

Buried

He ran away from everything.
Feelings , emotions and life.
He took no responsibility.
He worried about no strife.
He ran and ran and left his home,
learning only how to escape.
He left all remembrance of his old life behind.
And only had his ignorance as his cape.
His ignorant bliss was a skill to master,
that most still needed to learn.
He escaped in a cold, hard shell
but for warmth he started to yearn.
He longed for love and the experience it brought
and strangely the worries too.
He had went along, experiencing no pleasures
and knew only that the sea was blue.
His empty life had left him alone
and needed to find "The One".
But he knew nobody.  He was alone.
Because he was always on the run.
One day he decided to stop and look
at the mess his lifestyle had made.
He looked around , his troubles were there,
and weren't soon going to fade.
The moral of his life was don't run away
for you simply will never thrive.
You wouldn't want to become like him ,
who's troubles Buried him alive.

Dark Sky

Thrown into this world
without an ounce of consideration.
It must learn how to fly or
face eternal damnation.
"Learn how to fly." Mother bird said
"Or you'll get eaten by the cat."
"Fly or die." is what she meant.
What kind of love is that?
Here I stand, watching this bird
get thrown into life today.
Kicked from its home, made to fend alone
in the cold harsh month of May.
Smiling to herself because she was free,
the mother didn't even care.
Flying alone , I saw it cry
because life simply wasn't fair.
Here I stand, watching it disappear.
Slowly I watch it die.
Flying alone, flying into nothingness.
Flying into the Dark Sky.

Eternity

We don't live forever.
People do die.
Time continues ,
It simply skates by.
We lose track of our time
or rather it leaves us behind.
We spend our time doing stupid things
But soon enough we'll find
that time has passed
and we are older
having regrets for not being bolder.
We lose our youth
too fast to contemplate,
'Time has passed at
an alarming rate'.
We lost the chance
to spend time together
because we wasted time
that is gone forever.
Now the tables have turned
like the hands on a clock
and we know only
the last tick tock.
If I could go back to
spend my time with you
I'd choose a simple amount
Eternity , times two.


©  Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 11
***

Ocean Eyes: Five Poems by Uwais Coetzee

Ocean Eyes

Until I saw your eyes
I never thought I'd drown,
I faltered in comparison with
My simple brown.
"Drowning: the worst way to go"
Is what most people said
They say it feels like the pressure builds
And explodes inside your head.
Those who haven't met you
Won't understand my tragic bliss
Of how drowning inside your eyes
Was a pleasure , not to miss.
Those who've experienced the water's rage
Would then stay away from the sea.
But I drown and drown , deeper and deeper
To have you get closer to me.
Every time I speak to you ,
It's a tragic fantasy.
I get swept away , tossed and turned
But come out dripping with glee.
I drown myself to experience you
In it's barest ,purist form.
I kill myself to have you live ,
It's not something out of the norm.
I lose myself in those eyes
That deep oceanic blue.
And if I drown , one day , for real
Make sure they know it was you.
I'll be swept away ,in an ocean of bliss
And you'll hear the elated cries.
For I'll have drowned , happily,
in the depths of those Ocean Eyes.

One with the Ground

I found that life is busy
There's no time to rest.
The only time you ever get peace
Is when you become the best.
Sitting on top of the mountain
Gives you a better view.
But the pressure to stay on top is immense
when everyone wants to replace you.
To have peace eternally
You must make peace internally.
To get peace internally ,you have
to make peace externally.
Make peace with those around you
You'd think that it might save you.
But everything is too much anyway
You'll drown and see only blue.
Life is tough and life is hard
And there's no easy way out.
The only easy way for you is hard on others
But it's still difficult without a doubt.
I took the easy way out and this is
What I found:
The only simple way to peace
Is to make yourself One With the Ground.

Freedom Of The Soul

Don't be trapped in daily life.
Live beyond your eyes see.
Create the rules of your life.
Set your soul free
Only you can control
that life of your own.
Make your environment of happiness
before you're all grown.
Be true to your fellow man ,
Be real, not fake.
There's only so much negativity
that a soul can take.
Don't be buried in negativity
and have to dig yourself out like a mole.
Live life on top of your world
and achieve freedom of the soul.

Forgotten Feelings

I told you one day
how I felt about you.
I spilled my heart out.
Like an emotional spew.
You stood there quiet.
Like a statue.
I waited for your response and
the tension grew.
You looked at me with those eyes.
That deep ocean blue
and said with sorrow
"I don't love you."
I took it like a man.
Trying to act tough.
I said "I'll see you tomorrow."
Because what you'd said was enough.
Those words fit into me.
Fit like a glove.
That was all I needed,
that little shove.
I let my feelings fly away.
Fly like a dove.
You made me forget.
Forget how to love.

Hopes from before

I wanted it to be real.
And by the way things looked it would be.
I wanted us to be together
and from our pain and suffering we'd be free.
I wanted you to want me
on those cold and gloomy days.
And search for me like people search
for the exit of a maze.
I wanted you a line
and things were looking good.
Until I saw the day on which
alone with him you stood.
You said that it was nothing.
That "He was just a friend."
But you struggled to find the words
that my broken hopes would mend.
I wanted us to be real ,
But it was fake to the core.
I guess I lost the connection
from the hopes I had before.


©  Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 11
***

Thoughts Lost: Five poems by Uwais Coetzee

Thoughts Lost

As our paths crossed
For that split second in time
I found myself wondering about you,
lingering thoughts aren't a crime.
We never knew each other ,
and probably never will.
But your side glance into my eyes
made my soul stand still.
Flabbergasted by thoughts
of who you might be,
ran through my mind and
quite frankly consumed all of me.
I couldn't help but wonder,
Did it consume you ?
Did it consume you like it consumed me
as if I had the Spanish flu.
Did it infect your every thought
and control you as a whole?
Did you feel a connection,
like a string between souls?
That's the best description I can give
for when our paths crossed.
But that split second is gone forever
and will simply be Thoughts Lost.

Time Lost

I wanted you to know,
before we went away,
how I felt about you.
It's full moon today

We went to college together.
No more to lose and a world to gain.
My feelings are still inside.
It's full moon again.

My feelings stay hidden.
You found someone unknown.
I lost my chance.
Has the moon grown ?

You lived your life
and in the coffin you lay.
You never knew how I felt.
It was your last full moon today.

Why I said hello

Why I said hello that day
Is a mystery to most
But because I said hello that day
I have rights to boast.
I went against my better nature
When I greeted you
But as the conversation progressed
I fell for that ocean blue.
I wanted to know all about you
And hear no words of goodbyes.
I wanted to sit there , under the stars
But stare only into your eyes.
I wanted to know the real you
Not the fake you that others see,
I wanted to know the '4am' you
that you'd show only to me.
I wanted to know you so well,
and to such a degree,
that before you even open your mouth
it would be like I have a 'You dictionary'.
I wanted to be your soul mate,
your partner wherever you go.
And that , my one and only ,
is why I said hello.

Trapped 

Her eyes told me she was trapped,
trapped inside her mind.
Her eyes spoke the words
that her lips struggled to find.
She came to school with eyes all red.
Her pain was hard to hide.
She was lost with no friends around
and she was dying inside.
She was laughed at for crying in school,
they said that she was weak.
But they did know her struggles
and her pain was at a peak.
I spoke to her one day,
when they all left her again.
All she said was "Thank you,
But I cannot remain."
I looked into her eyes
She smiled and walked away
and she didn't even come to
school the following day.
I went to her house
to see if she was fine.
I went to knock on the door
because the house was not mine.
But the door was open
so I walked right in
and the living room was full
of her grieving kin.
When I saw her in front of me
I knew she'd lost all hope
because there she was in front of me
hanging from a rope.

Not with me

Things in life will be.
Life will play out the way it has to.
Nobody has a choice, not me,
Not you.
People will end up where they will.
Your life will turn out well,
or it could be the latter.
Not your nor I have a choice in the matter.
All you asked was: "Who will I marry?"
Tomorrow brings the answer.
Someone and you were meant to be.
But all along that someone
Wasn't me.


©  Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 11
***

The Magician: Five Poems by Uwais Coetzee

The Magician

She used tricks to escape her problems
Day in and day out.
They never disappeared though.
They were there without a doubt.
Tricking children into thinking
rabbits came from hats.
Seeing their shocked faces
while sitting on mats.
Teaching them that things disappeared
and completely vanished from sight.
Giving them smiles ,as it took away a her own
and she slowly lost her light.
She deteriorated as life went on
and slowly withered away.
Yet smiling for the children ,
keeping them oblivious for another day.
Her regular show never happened one day,
to the parents it slowly became clear.
She went out like a true Magician,
she made her life disappear.

The Thief

He stole everything from others.
Never using his own.
It all started back when he had
to fend for himself alone.
He was left to figure life out
without any assistance.
Abandoned to find his
own existence.
He stole everything from possession
To names and words.
He once stole a pet, a child's
Canary bird.
Nobody knew his name.
So he stole that too.
He was saying solo team
And never had a crew.
One day he disappeared.
Gone without a trace.
Nobody could report a thing.
He stole their memories of his face.

The World

There is a whole world behind your eyes,
that no one but you can explore.
The seas and oceans, mountains and rivers
Are yours right down to the core.
The only access point
Are through those eyes of yours.
Many times , to no avail have I
Tried to see the world through those doors.
They say curiosity killed the cat
But the cat lives in there too.
All your memories , all your feelings,
all the things that make you , you.
The world is mostly water ,
I guess that's why your eyes are blue.
People don't see it , the world you have,
The walk past without a clue.
The curiosity I have right now
makes me the cat today,
inquisitive , relentless pursuit,
It keeps me from staying away.
To know a person you have to know
the world behind their eyes.
I stare into yours to learn about your world
before it inevitably dies.

Things Unseen

People believe I'm what they can see,
what they can touch , like trees , plush and green.
I do it too , yes me.
Not believing things unseen.

We think we know it all
at this age of sixteen
Trying to differentiate what's real or not.
Never believing in things unseen.

Believe in the unknown.
Believe in what's out of your sight.
Believe in all things
that aren't touched by light.

Believe in the invisible
from this age of sixteen.
Believe in it all.
Believe in Things Unseen

Obstacles

The path to love
is filled with obstacles
that one has to accept and move on.
But how can one move on when
the obstacle that blocks ones path
is the love that one shall never get in return?

The highway of love is
like a map.
Sometimes the roads only go one way.
Sometimes you never find the treasure.
Sometimes love itself is the obstacle
On the path to finding love.


©  Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 11
***

Soul Tied: Five Poems by Uwais Coetzee

Soul Tied

We met by chance,
a soulful coincidence.
Not a mistake but an opportunity
to begin a new experience.
We found ourselves making plans
to meet up and have fun.
But instead we'd be shy in the moment
and our mouths wouldn't run.
It would be an awkward silence
but not in a negative way.
As if our souls were connected and there
was nothing we needed to say.
We were together
But apart
All we needed
Was a start
And like the flying
Of a dart
I gave you
My heart.
You took it and latched on
like a child holding their toy.
But with me you didn't play.
We were here to enjoy.
To enjoy our time together
and be the reason for each other's smiles.
And be the only ones to kiss each other's lips
When we were supposed to be sorting files.
Sneaking glances at school,
while reading Shakespeare.
And being content with each other.
And happiness became clear.
Conversations were blissful and
eye contact was a treasure.
And those moments alone with you
were a pleasure without measure.
I doubt things will change.
They will always be the same.
Me and you will always be
Examples of a winning love game.
We may sometimes not get along
But it's a fairly smooth ride.
You and I will always be
inevitably Soul Tied.

More than I can take

All things have a capacity
A point at which it is full.
All things have a maximum size
Like the horns of a bull.
My brewing pot of emotions
has a limit too.
And sadly at the current point
it's full because of you.
Emotions and feelings combined together
a deadly combination it makes.
If my feelings were a water body
it would be an enormous lake.
But sadly as I said before
You fill me to the brim.
My feelings flow through my body
through every limb.
By the feel of things
in this enormous lake
the feelings I have because of you
Are more than I can take.

Rules

"Rules are made to be broken"
Is how the common saying goes.
To rebels and thieves and liars like me
It's second nature like crowing to crows.
Although breaking a rule is foreign to you
You had the beginners luck.
I ate your words up and believed and believed and
slowly became emotionally stuck.
If rules are meant to be broken, then
what are rules really for ?
Realistic boundaries for us to break and
exceed expectations once more ?
If rules are meant to be broken, then
you took the next step.
You lied and deceived and broke your promises
Like a weightlifter doing a rep.
It became second nature to you and
lying became your truth.
It became your language, your immediate response.
But when I pointed it out , you'd call me uncouth.
I became so used to the lies that
I took everything in the opposite way.
"Oh you don't love me?" "You don't need me?"
"You won't kill yourself today."
I found out the hard way that
Without an intention of living, you slept.
That "I'll kill myself today" was true.
The one promise you actually kept.

What you didn't know 

The night you took yourself
Took yourself away
It was too much for me
Too much too keep at bay
It was early in the year,
Sometime in May,
when you whispered in my ear,
"I'll go today".
I turned around to find you
But you were out of my sight.
I looked for you ,
the entire day and night.
With all my might
I wanted to keep you alive
Because suicide isn't right.
It wasn't your fate.
But by the time I found you
it was too late.
You took your life away
How could you?
I looked into your eyes
they were no longer blue.
I went up close to see if it was true.
But what you didn't know , that night you took your life,
You took mine too.

The bus that never came

We were waiting for our dreams
at the bus stop of our lives,
waiting for our wishes,
waiting for them to arrive.

My spirits lifted,
when I saw that first bus arrive
but my dreams had not come with it
and I struggled to keep them alive

I waited for you.
At that bus stop.
For you to step down with eyes glittery blue.
For me to say "I love you"
And you to say "I love you too"
But you didn't.

When the final bus arrived
it put out my flame.
You were on a bus,
but on The Bus that never came.


©  Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 11
***

New Beginnings: Five Poems by Uwais Coetzee

New Beginnings

The big day was here.
The first day of the rest of your life.
To spend your life with someone.
Down the isle rose petals lay.
Today was your wedding day.
The music began
and you walked down the isle.
You walked with your dad.
Everyone's face had a smile.
Reaching the alter to begin the vows.
To love and to hold.
In sickness and health.
Till death do us part.
I do.
I do.
I do.
I looked into your eyes.
All shiny and blue.
Saw you happy again
starting anew.
Convincing myself it was a beginning
And not the end.
But there you were at the altar.
Marrying my best friend.

Losing You

I lost you.
Not immediately
But definitely, completely,
eternally.
I lost you while looking elsewhere
I lost you slowly
But all at once.
I saw us losing the connection
we had once before.
I secretly wished that
we had it once more.
I still felt the same.
Right down to my core.
But our distracted conversations
seemed to stay a bore.
I wanted that connection
to return.
Every time I saw you
my heart used to yearn
My mind and soul
used to burn.
Your feelings I
needed to learn
I need you know how you feel
To complete me .
Sadly the statement that is true
Is that I was slowly but surely Losing You.

Losing Myself

The world is ruthless
It tears us apart
Losing parts of us we need
Like a donkey that lost it's cart.
I am no stranger
To the ruthlessness of this place
Becoming emotional cogs ,
Simply becoming another face.
Getting torn apart piece by piece
When we're simply trying to live
Losing all we have until
There's nothing left to give.
Losing ourselves while
Simply trying to survive
Not knowing whether you're
Simply existing or wondering if you're even alive.
We're losing ourselves in our
Very own tears , sweat and blood
Losing individuality in life
Simply part of the ground and mud.
Simply becoming another wave
In the world's sea,
Losing originality.
I'm Losing Me.

Lost Souls

We are all lost
don't know where to go
wandering aimlessly.
What's the choice , yes or no?
Choices have consequences.
It's always right or wrong.
Depending on your decisions in life
The road could be long.
Everyone makes mistakes sometimes
But you made that choice on your own.
It's simply human nature.
No one's fault but your own.
On that day the choice was wrong
But I kept silent and clenched my fist.
With you it was nothing new,
just another bad choice to add to the list.
Things were going well
Until you screamed "Let me drive".
I turned my head to stare at you
and silently prayed to stay alive.
The night was cold and
the road was dark and the lights weren't helping much.
And your infamously terrible driving skills
stacked it all against us as such.
I sat quiet in the back and held
Onto my seat as you said you had it under control.
But I couldn't keep my screams at bay as
we swerved to dodge a pole.
I realized what was happening
After the car had done two rolls.
Wondering if when we die we'll rest
Or simply be Lost Souls.                          

I hope it's not

Everything in life
at some point must go.
But here in these words ,
there's something more to know.
Something different to hear,
something new to see
from those eyes of yours
that see right through me.
If something isn't constant
then change it must.
"Was it true ? Or simply
infatuation-like lust ?"
On that day I walked.
Walked away from you.
That was the last time I stared
into that deep ocean blue.
I hope our paths cross
before we're old and start to rot.
Right now it feels like the end
But I hope it's not.

©  Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 11
***

Life & Confusion / Insomnia ~ Siyabonga Dlamini

Insomniac

Insomniac...
not by choice...
but because ...
once I close my eyes..
A part of me wishes they won't open again..

Life & Confusion

Sometimes you just stare at the books and
wonder if all the perseverance and hard work
is worth it...
Knowing very well that nothing
materialistic captivates your soul...
knowing
that this reality cannot offer you what you
dream of...
what you seek...
knowing very well
that the car,house,job,money
,success won't give you any satisfaction so
you don't really see the point in
anything...
What do you do then?


© Siyabonga Dlamini 

***
Matriculant 2016
***

Lady Justice is Blind

Lady Justice is blind?
No...
She's blindfolded with banknotes,deafened with
the sound of cash registers and gagged with
Hate...
Only blind to certain spills and chills but turning
a blind eye to the suffering of the masses...
A single bad apple cannot desecrate an entire
tree...
It cannot deprive the farmer of sweet memories
under its shade through the harsh times of
extreme heat in hopeless reality
Or protection from the wolves that invaded and
sought to devour him and all his heirs...
It cannot deprive the tongue of the sweet taste
of the tree's best fruit,consumed over the
centuries,nurturing the soul...
Yet the wolf has gained mass influence over the
confused sheep...
She no longer dresses in sheep skin to try and
fool them but uses one amongst the sheep to
lead them into marching against and driving out
the farmer...their shepherd...
She seeks to feast on the live stock without
disruption...
Her eyes filled with hatred and thirst...
Thirst for their blood...
Maybe the farm never belonged to the farmer...
Maybe the wolves let him fill the farm with life
to feed on in future...
Maybe they have been watching under the cover
of the shadows the whole time,waiting for the
perfect moment to strike...
So I ask again...
Is Lady Justice blind?...
Whatever the answer may be...
I suggest you open your own eyes...


© Siyabonga Dlamini

***
Matriculant 2016
***

The Deceiver & Other Poems ~ Bridget Machepha

The Deceiver

when one goes crazy and crazy losing their minds
in the comfort of their deceivers hands, he
smiles and says "hey" he knows that he just
plunged the dagger deeper into the crusts of
your soul. here is no tuning back to the empty
shadows of what was but you have to walk into
the emptiness of what is in the now moments of
dark eyed demons of your future with the
deceiver your one true love! or so you thought....
run into bright light of nothingness!

No Fool

what's pain without experience, to sit and think
about the components that made up your life
and the hardships that rather destroyed your
past, remolding your present was the thing of
the future but now grab that wrecking ball with
two fingers and gently lay it down on the already
wrecked platform of what already is your today
and your tomorrow ran for the hills of no return.
she would lookup and all she saw was betrayal
not from me, no but the abuser ... him. who is
this he that lured me in then justified his name
and abused the victim of which is the darker
outline of my shadows. when he fell he dragged
me down with him but in reality he never touched
that ground but i, i didn't touch it either but i
hang by the thread of his jacket, afraid to let my
toes touch the hot ground of his lies... just so
that i could sink deep into the waters of his
promises.i wish i never believed him... he called
me his soldier... and so i thought what dignity
does a soldier have if he goes down without a
battle. i played the fool...for did he know that one
acts like a fool to fool the fool who thought they
trying to fool you!

Newsflash

OK so I sit with him, he sits with me yet we not
sitting together. For the invisible barrier that not
only stretches across between us but surrounds
us making connection almost existent. You know
you think you've conquered everything just
because you think you fooled the foolishness
within me. Newsflash one can never fool another
but can show how foolish they really are by
playing the protector, the commander, by being
the one person you thought has your back. Now
that is pure stupidity... Betrayal and an act of
nothing more than proving the monster that eats
away your toes and hands just to spit it all in
your heart leaving it wasted and rotten. That's
when one starts to realize, what good can come
from that!?! You see good things are not only
given to you but they too chose you! You claim
to be His, are you truly... You say you different
from them, really now? You decided to put that
difference under your pillow hoping to find it the
next morning forgetting that putting it aside
made you one of them. You are now the abuser.
wearing a mask will never be enough to hide the
smirk of deception your once so innocent little
blurred out face possessed
The abuser will abuse and the abused will
conquer... You wait and see!!!


© Bridget Machepha

***

How I Feel About Her ~ Nzima Mazibuko

When I first saw you, it was like I took a glimpse of heaven itself, your so beautiful that no language in the world can ever explain your beauty, your smile causes the gods of the galaxy to make the stars shine bright, your personality, is like an Angels soul intertwined with the most beautiful wonders of the earth, your heart, so peaceful, just like taking a stroll on the beachside, your body, so thick and beautifully curved, just like the pyramids, you leave people with wonder, of how this extraordinary structure was built. I consider you as fire, a very mysterious desire, but whether you are going to warm my heart or burn it down, I can never foresee it from the start, but believe me when I say,...."I love you " cause as I say this to you, I combine all of my unexplained feelings and bundle them up into 3 words, but all of this is just a poem,.... as I know that you know too, that true love is not determined by words, but by actions


© Nzima Mazibuko

***
Grade 11
*** 

Heartache ~ Vincent Moloi

I promised you that I would never let this happen never again but my weak body is giving in to temptation. Although I know it will end badly it always does just with tears running down your cheek. So how bout I save us the heart ache not because I don't believe in us just because I don't have anything left to offer even my heart is worthless now I've tried parting from it too many times and they all kicked it back with a lot of holes. I believe this is it heartless at the age of 16.

© Vincent Moloi

***
Grade 11
***

Goodbyes ~ Malwazi Moholi

You know;
I've written this to you many times.
"I love you"
And again I commit my crime.

Love sees you, your handsome brown eyes wander
She observes you hanging onto a burden
A selfish burden you regret carrying later:
The beautiful, opposite Maiden.
Love watches as you two come together
Come to love each other
Hugging and kissing one another
Until,   Distance took Us farther and farther
Maiden was falling in love with Distance
You were falling in love with her deeper.
Your broken heart was instant,
So you vowed to stay solo.
*
"I love you, I love you, I love you."
"I love you, I love you, I'm sorry I lied to you."

I write this once more;
Declaring the depth of my love
Of my shattering hearts core.
I love You, more and above,
And enough to let you go.
'Cause you deserve better;
Than a love so slow,
A love to achieve greater.
Goodbye, old friend.
You were the bright in my life; but
I was a tainted darkness to your souls end.
Fly, our ties have now been cut.

© Malwazi Moholi

***
Grade 11
***

You Are the One ~ Uvir Govender

My world feels so good cause,
my soul belongs to you.
Cause you are that one
that I go running to.

This world can race by in a flash,
but I'll never make a single move.
Even if we blow up in a crash,
we will always have our special groove.

I lived for you,
cause you are my only love.
Because you are my joy,
you are my one an only.

Not hi seems complete without you,
you are my one true love.
We will stay together by glue,
and fit just like a glove.

Cause you are the one,
who took away my troubles.
You are the one,
who gave meaning to my life.

Cause you were the one,
now are the one.
My heart will always love,
to you my love.

You are my whole world,
and I'll keep running to you.


© Uvir Govender

***
Grade 9
***

She was Special ~ Muhammad Vawda

She had a bad past,
Faults that no one liked
Mistakes that she couldn’t fix,
Yet he still fell in love with her;

Her heart was big,
Bigger than thee ocean
Her words were sweet,
Sweeter than honey

Her smile was broad,
Broader than hips
Her face shone bright,
Brighter than a full moon.

©  Muhammad Vawda

***
Grade 10
***

The Beach of Wisdom & Other Poems ~ Uvir Govender

The Beach of Wisdom

That feeling you get when you see it,
is a feeling I can't describe.
The scene is just like heaven,
for millions to see like a United tribe.

To run on the gentle sand,
the electrified atmosphere of happy children.
The place where is never bland,
just like a cold ice cone.

People may say its dangerous,
but what's the point in living without a few risks.
Just be aware of the blue sea,
The crabs get a bit frisky.

Many can say the beach is for all,
no matter who or where you come from.
The beauty is not the destination but the dreams it creates,
just look into the sea you'll find you future reality in a flash.

True Fate

Making my downtown through the pain of a heartbreak,
Yet somehow is so fake.
What can do to ease the sorrow,
But fall into a deep hollow.

But if I could fall into the night,
Will you be my shining light.
To light my world with so my hope,
So I can just cope.

Through day and night your on my mind,
Oh how I give it all To be with you my love.
I'd search the ends of the earth,
To find you my white dove.

This world will never make you wait,
You never know what it may bring.
But it may just fate,
That incredible thing.

My Heaven

Many think that heaven is nothing,
only an image in one's mind.
Some with technology,
or the modern way of living.

So you ask yourself what is heaven,
yet many have not the slightest clue what it is.
But for the few who do find it,
it is truly a God sent gift.

That heaven brings so much into your life,
it makes everything seem like nothing.
Cause with your heaven everything will be okay,
it's cause heaven is real.

Yes everyone had different heavens,
I know I have mine.
And that heaven is my life...
the thing that keeps me going,
the driving force in my life.

That heaven is love,
love is my one and only heaven.


©  Uvir Govender

***
Grade 9
***

Oblivion ~ Vincent Moloi

I've walked this earth with oblivion as my only friend
Everything I've done in my life he was with me
He kept me safe and he made sure I didn't have any dreams
Because with dreams also comes nightmares
He made sure I didn't forget him

I walked this earth with oblivion as my greatest fear
I didn't really have much of a life
Because he would always introduce me to new people
He would always whisper to in my ear
Saying darkness and fear are the only people that care

I walked this earth with oblivion
He was taking me somewhere
So with no one else in my life I followed him
When I realised that he was bringing me closer to death
Death snatched me
He told everything is going to be okay
And he said he was going to be my new friend.


©  Vincent Moloi

***
Grade 11
***

This Empty Place & Other Poems ~ Uvir Govender

This Empty Place

Silence......just silence fills the air,
not a single cloud or flower in sight.
But nothing......just nothing,
That's how I feel everyday.

All I can think is why,
why of all people did I end up here.
Just the thought makes my cry,
Yet hear I am in great fear

Many have the luxury of not being in this place,
Sadly its the only place I can call home.
Why is the world so cruel to my face,
Is something you will o my see in the dark dome.

Day in and out all I think is,
Will someone love me for who I am?
Can i have my own family to love?
Do I mean something to anyone?

Till I find the answers to those questions,
I'll just sit in the darkness all alone.

One Word

In all my life I've seen it all,
From the sunsets on a winter's day.
To climbing the great wall,
Yet something is missing in a way.

You think you have it all....but you realise,
that your destiny has yet to begin.
Only when you look I side I what lies,
may just be the greatest thing you will ever find.

The word is a strange place,
filled with mishaps and odd fates.
A word you must see to believe,
may be closer than you think.

That feeling is not fake nor stupid,
a feeling most do not see.
But of you take that word to heart,
It will show you what your mean to be.

That word...... is one strange thing,
but it makes the birds sing.
Cause when you find that special someone,
You will realise what it means to love.

A Broken Heart

When that moment comes to place,
I can feel my world just break.
Nothing seems so painful to face,
but the smile you see which is only fake.

She came into my life ,
and made me happy for a while.
Yet in the end it just didn't win so well,
all I did was just walking for a mile.

I just think I deserve nothing,
after all the pain I brought to those I love.
For someone who hurt my everything,
making me live like a broken dove.

So many have found there one,
but my one was just a lie.
My body feels like giving in,
and just let myself die.

All I want is my soul saved ,
from the pain and suffering I faced.
Just in a swift and fast wave,
I just passed.

Nothing could mend,
my sad broken heart.

©  Uvir Govender

***
Grade 9
***

Untitled (Three Poems) ~ Vriti Maharaj

I

She dug deep into her soul
searching for hope and for light
but all she found was anger, heartbreak and teenage angst
how did that cheerful spirit transform into a black pit of nothing?

It is said the cocoon is merely a facade because great things are coming
she believed her wings would come
that it would arrive just when she felt as if she were to reach the bottom of the black pit.

She waited anxiously for her wings to arrive
to save her from her spirit being destroyed
she found no joy in anything anymore

Just when she kept falling
miraculously
her wings spread out and carried her
she found hope
her soul was full of light
Illuminated .

Her wings carried her higher and higher out of the black pit
she could see the sunlight growing closer and closer
and just as she escaped the pit out into the open
she discovered that she was and will always be
a butterfly warrior.

A butterfly warrior who waits patiently for the good to arrive
who appears ugly in a coccoon
but
transforms and spreads their beautiful wings and flies.

II

She smiled, a smile full of teeth
her eyes hid the deepest darkest secrets
her heart felt the most pain
her laugh masked her worst emotions and fears
her hands fought struggles of pain.

Who is this girl?
The girl that talks the most
the girl that you think whose life is perfect
the girl whose parents died but are still alive
the girl who struggles to succeed.

She is the one who hides behind her loud personality and corny jokes
she is is the one who never leaves your side
she is the one who seems so intelligent and mature
she is the one that you think is so beautiful..
but she will never know.

She was a beautiful broken soul
who struggled to find her place in this world
who could not find the strength to succeed
she was the girl who fought battles at home, in her heart and on her mind
she lost her battles at school and kept drowning and drowning.

Who is this girl?

The same girl you thought had it all
money, looks, intelligence
the same girl who you thought had a handsome boyfriend
the same girl who seemed to be so bubbly.

This girl never let it show
she stumbled and fell
but always picked herself up
dusted herself off
and stood back up bold and strong.

But this girl
shes weak yet so strong
so happy yet so sad
so intelligent yet so lackadaisical.

I hope that she is rewarded
for her courage
her inner strength
her good heart
her love
her grace
her personality
and most importantly
for never giving up.

III

She sang a melody of words whenever you were near
her heart beat a calypso rhythm
her smile lit up her face
her eyes twinkled

Yet you still chose to leave her
you left behind her love
her care
her golden heart


©  Vriti Maharaj

***
Grade 11
***

Death by Look ~ Vincent Moloi

Hands in the same place
Eyes always itching to look your way
Pride always by your shoulder
Love always in your pocket
This was me
Neither before her

My eyes kept looking
My heart kept beating purposeless
My soul kept longing for someone
Life had no meaning
But my soul kept seeking her
This is what I did
What I did before her

On my search a lot of things caught my eye
But one person touched my heart
Finally had I found my purpose
My purpose to love
When our eyes met our hearts stopped beating
But our love kept flowing
We shared our first kiss
Although it was a stolen kiss
I'm the gloomy night
I was finally complete
This is me
This is what I want to do
For the rest of our lives.

© Vincent Moloi

***
Grade 11
***

Imagination & Other Poems ~ Uvir Govender

Imagination

Can you imagine what could happen,
if you could dream anything.
Though it seem hasty and utterly crazy,
Why don't you just try.

Then you thank that star that made it all come true,
Cause what you want is coming soon.
right here......right now,
Just dream like a crazy cartoon.

If you could fly to the highest mountains,
or dive below the deep blue sea.
It all just lies in your heart and soul,
to live your life so free.

The world is truley incredible,
only if you let you mind explore.
And never look back at all,
just let your mind go wild.

Nightfall Sky

A sight all girls want to see so bad,
yet never experience its true beauty.
Though never to drives them mad,
for those who see is incredible to witness.

Rare to the naked eye,
but grips one till the day they die.
Never in ones life can see it all,
till you see those shining stars.

Many go to see its mighty wonders,
near and far...high and low.
But has never really seen this,
the thing that brings a smile to my face.

Many ask what's so great to see,
yet they don't know its purpose.
Just a cycle on can witness everyday,
Is the simple nightfall sky.

That Special Someone

The modern generation loves the world of technology and all,
however is that really special to someone's heart?
Is it just a myth to find that someone to call,
or could that fate become a reality to one's art.

All I know is she has a incredible smile,
that makes million die from doing her thing.
To the way she moves from side to side,
makes my heart go fast as a lightning .

The way her soft brown hair feels by my touch,
can make a baby panda feel like a ruff fluff.
And when you look into her hazel brown eyes,
you just get so my love to be tough.

Many think she's too good to be true,
it could be true but its not.
Cause I've seen her and shes my mew,
the one who is seen as not alot.

But all I can say is one simple phrase,
she is my special someone.


© Uvir Govender

***
Grade 9
***

You Are ~ Tevell Iyer

You are the person who laughed
at me with your friends
who called me names hours upon hours
without any end.

You are the person who brought me down
It was you who made everybody treat
me like a clown.

You hated me, that’s why
nobody could play with me
I felt lower than a cut down tree

A day would not go by
without the mirror ever seeing me cry

You had fun teasing me
but now you will pay the fee


© Tevell Iyer


***
Grade 8
***

He Has Not Aged Well ~ Nolulama Msomi

He has not aged well.
Sadness,
Lurks over him,
And comforts him like cold blanket.
His permanent scowl, frightens even the gay birds that bless every uncertain day.
Miserable can a man possibly be so?
Side by side with his dominant beloved and his taxing offspring he is distracted
Attempting to experience the feeling even his depressed heart can no longer manufacture:
Elation.
His Dreams
That drowned in a pool of sewerage and wasted talent;
Were replaced by:
Regret for the wrong path he chose.

© Nolulama Msomi

***

Grade 12

***

A Skeleton in the Floor ~ Nishka Ramkhelawan

Time's starving hand stole
your soul away from this
life quenching world.

The frame which once
held your vivacious body so
perfectly together
remains utterly
unresponsive.

You were robbed of
your time here.
And now we are
left vacant and empty
like Satan's impassive
heart.

There was once a girl
who was so vibrant.
Her powdery, pallid body
now swathes the river floor.


© Nishka Ramkhelawan


***
Matriculant 2016
***

Whenever Your Eyes Suddenly Meet Mine ~ Andiswa Gwala

Whenever your eyes suddenly meet mine
I see them sparkle like rippling water
Whenever touched by the golden rays of sunlight
The starry glow on the surface
Turns everything into perfect bliss.

Whenever your eyes suddenly meet mine
I see their shade tint like the evening sky
Whenever the sun sets at the end of the day
The transition from day to night
Gives the smallest stars their time to shine.

Whenever your eyes suddenly meet mine
I see them become smaller like flowers
Whenever the slightest bit of Autumn wind blows
Their ability to shut with the flying dust
Ensures their everlasting protection from harm.

Whenever your eyes suddenly meet mine
I see the tears drop like rain from the summer sky
Whenever evaporation is complete in the ocean
The beauty of the falling rain in cloudy atmosphere
Makes one question the workings of nature.

Whenever your eyes suddenly meet mine
I peer directly into them and
Regardless of their colour, their size and the tears
I still see them sparkle like the still waters
Whenever touched by the silver light of the moon and stars.
Why?

Because, Even in the most quiet and darkest of nights
Whenever your eyes suddenly meet mine:
         
         Your eyes still remain your eyes.


© Andiswa Gwala


***
Grade 11
***

To My Babe ~ Mangaliso Xaba

I Love you my Babe
I Love you like I’ll never Love Again.
I Love because I know with you I always got a Friend
I Love you because I know that you really Care.
I Love you because you’ve been with me through my Tarnish,
and our Love’s Chapter has been Accomplished
but yet we still together with our Love to Share.
You stood by me through pain when no one else could Bear
just to show me that you really Care.
I know that I haven’t always been Fair,
When we have our fights then you lose,
I get so thrilled because I know that I hadn’t just won the fight
But I have won a woman who truly and deeply Loves Me.
I will Love you forever, even when there’s no more beauty to See
Because I promised you on the first day, that I’ll be with you Forever
And to tell the truth, the Due Date of my promise will appear on the day we can no longer be Together,
the day one of us says Goodbye to Another
looking anxiously at the Dove’s Feathers.
Telling a Tale of: ”We meet to Part, But we Part to Meet”
 

© Mangaliso Mthandazi Xaba (Mangz Nation)


***
Grade 11
***

Mother's Hate ~ Taahir Sardiwalla

Down deep beyond the muck
Past this show of intelligence,
the facade 'greater than yours'
After midnight follies
Past feigned glories
There exists the divine knowledge
A power so intense

To the facade of rebellion
Unintended yet unavoidable
Power is devastation, humiliation
self-centered, uncaring

All the same, the truth stains
Her force be love

-itstaahir

© Taahir Sardiwalla

***
Grade 12
***

Letter to my love... ~ Siyabonga Dlamini

I'm sorry for not being the one despite all my efforts,
for all my mistakes...
I'm sorry for my lack of understanding and consideration,
for all the heartache I caused...
I'm sorry that I'm easily replaceable,
that I'm easily forgotten...
I'm sorry that I was able to repel you with a few minor unintended misunderstandings,
despite how I remained through all the confusion you put me through...

I tried my best to please you
but I guess it's easy to lose track of months' worth of happiness together
as compared to a few weeks' errors and misconceptions while separate..
I'd say my heart is broken but at such a point in time I can  assume I don't possess one anymore...
Sorrow enforced insomniac habits and self induced lacerations have become my daily bread...
Neither the sight of my own blood pools on my sheets nor  deep wounds seem not to scare me anymore
my worst fears have come to as losing you was one of them
Once had you told me you possess the same fears but I guess you were finally able to face them...
The possibilities of you coming across this message are very slim yet I hope you do...
Once bearing the pride of your ultimate high, your ecstasy
but I guess you found your cocaine to replace me...
You never gave me the chance to elaborate on the reasons behind my misunderstandings
nor said your final goodbye properly but  guess I will have to live with it...
Each night is either clouded with visages of jealousy and suffering in my mind
followed by endless inquests lacking responses
or bloodshot eyes and shaky fingertips spent in my own company..
Sleep is only achieved either by extreme fatigue emotionally and physically...
Morning is clouded with unfulfilled hopes of another chance t speak to you again..
Sour disappointment and the sharp reality are my daily breakfast,
Best served cold...

One day I hope you will think about me, that you will care...
One day I hope that I may forgive myself and move on..
But until that day comes I will remain as I am...

Yours Sincerely

A Broken Man...


© Siyabonga Dlamini

***
Matriculant 2016
***

Wings that Break the Broken Boy ~ Naadir Vorajee

i am down ... Broken!
my White wings will me, no more.
i am lost ... Broken!
my Young mind wishes for that which i cannot reach.
i am forgotten ... Broken!
The doves that once flew me, have turned to flies
The wind that once blew me, has turned to rain
i am soaked ... Broken!

The stones that i once laughed at, now chain me, it's captive

Did i fly too close to the sun?
Did i build my tower too high?

i am down ... awoken!
My white wings need me, no more.
i am found ... awoken!
My young mind wishes no more for that which I have found.
i am alive ... awoken!
The doves that once flew me, have turned to flies.
The wind that once blew me, has turned to rain.
i am soaked ... awoken!

i am a Broken Boy that has broken My wings!


©  Naadir Vorajee

***
Matriculant 2013
***

Beautiful Tragedy ~ Malwazi Moholi

How lonesome and heartbreaking
To fall so deep in love
With someone so undeserving of
An open heart that is breaking.
This fulfilling but shifty feeling
That reaches far above
The expectations of young love
Far more overpowering.

A 300 year old affair
That leaves me wondering
And in revelation of prayer,
Hoping for a love so overwhelming.
But, I might as well not dare
To think I deserve such a beautiful
   Fledgling.


©  Malwazi Moholi

***
Grade 11
***

Last Words ~ Malwazi Moholi

These are my last words written to YOU:

I'm sorry.
That you may have had problems
At home;
That you may have been betrayed
By those you love;
That you have trust issues;
That you keep your feelings inside;

I'm sorry.
That I may have loved
You;
That I may have hurt
You;
That I keep holding you back;
That life doesn't go as you
Hoped;
That things change.

I'm sorry that you sometimes cry
Without saying a word;
I'm sorry that I'm not always there.

I'm sorry that I no longer will
Be part of your life.

I'm sorry that you won't ever read this;
That you won't care
But I hoped you see the person that
I once saw.
A person who deserves complete love.
I hope she never makes you cry;
That she holds you;
That she's always there;

I'm sorry that I no longer will be
Part
Of
Your
Life.


©  Malwazi Moholi

***
Grade 11
***

The Love I Gave Away ~ Malwazi Moholi

I gave away a part of me
That I wanted to look at but also didn't want
To keep.

I was here, I walked on this
Grand soil
I loved, I got hurt and got my
Heart shattered.
I hurt, and took a blade
Against my flesh and
Watched the red fade and
Dissolve into water.
I lived, and I enjoyed
Every waking moment of
My bright brown eyes.
All of this I once had
Before the darkness consumed
My soul.
I loved.
I walked.
I got hurt.
I lived...

But I looked into her ocean blue eyes
And knew...

I knew it was her,
She was the one
Whom I gave   the only reason
That kept me breathing, loving and hurting.

I gave away a part of me
And it stopped beating in the process.


© Malwazi Moholi

***
Grade 11
***

Perhaps ~ Siyabonga Dlamini

Perhaps I don't love you but just didn't want to
be alone...
I probably should have listened to them...
should've used my mind and not heart...
perhaps I could've saved myself the pain from
the start...
Maybe I went out of my own league without
realising it..
Maybe I should have given you only a fraction
and not the whole of my being...
Quite often we find ourselves fighting over the
same things..
Perhaps I allowed the roots of my insecurities to
dig deep into my head and poison my thoughts..
I gave you my heart but forgot that I also need it
for survival..
Maybe I got too attached...
Let my whole life be about pleasing you...
Overstepped every boundary ever set...
Raised my expectations higher than reality yet...
perhaps I brought the silent disappointments
upon myself thus counting them silently to
myself....
perhaps I'm just being selfish and only want
satisfaction for myself...
Try to piece together the fragments of my heart
that are left...
"Don't love too much",this cliché I've been often
told...
I should have listened before I had my heart
ripped and my soul sold...all to please you...
Despite it all I still yearn for you...
Even though you played my heart like a flute..
Doing things I know for me you would never
attempt..
But maybe l'm disillusioned and just want to be
left...
Perhaps I love the pain...
probably why I'll never leave you...
but imperfect as I am I'll stay loyal and true...
Mind revolving around the disappointments but
also the memories...
even at my highest I've never felt so lonely and
low...
perhaps I just need to be alone....

©  Siyabonga Dlamini

***

Matriculant 2016

***

Beautiful Creatures ~ Malwazi Moholi

Beautiful creatures
Roaming the earth
Some blue eyed
Some green eyed
But
Mine is brown eyed
My muse
My reason for writing

Although It may hurt me
I still obsess.
It carries me above the clouds
Knows my most deepest thoughts
It can fly.

My beautiful creature has
Brown, curled hair,
Broad shoulders.
My beautiful creature
Cuddles,
Loves although hides,
Funny...

my Beautiful Creature
Is not Mine.
He Let me Go.
He let me fall to my death
Onto the cracked Earth,

In order to Catch another...


©  Malwazi Moholi

***
Grade 11
***

Untitled ~ Siyabinga Dlamini

The distance divides our souls but not hearts..
Hard doubts cloud my judgement and focus..
Only you can save me...


© Siyabonga Dlamini

***
Matriculant 2016
***

Take Care & You Killed Me ~ Malwazi Moholi

Take Care

Where there's love there's hatred
I love you
I hate you
I'm staying
I'm leaving

I'm really leaving
But you're holding on to me
Like a special but
Distant
M


* * *

You Killed Me

You're going to regret it,
Catching me

Catching a lost soul
Trying to find love.
The weakest of all prey
But the biggest of all the hearts.

My soul was black
With blotches of white
Screaming
To come out.

You,
Caught the wrong prey,
Predator,
You slaughtered the
Wrong Spirit!

Its okay.

My soul will live on
Remember me...

My spirit will haunt you
You tortured me...

Left me for dead
Left me to feed ungrateful mouths.

It wasn't my time yet,
I wanted to love,
Give my heart to someone
Who Loved Me!

But...

You took that from me
You crushed my heart
And gave it to your
Most selfish desires
Someone who hated me!
Throwing my hopes and dreams aside.

Oh my, you're going to regret it!
Catching me,
A lost soul
A soul that will bring you to prey,
Predator!


© Malwazi Moholi

***
Grade 11
***

I Want to Write a Poem ~ Naadir Vorajee

Oh, how can I have none to scribe!

The world has light, it's wings to see...
It's beauty begs at you and me,
It's sun shine bright across the sky
And still, I have none to tie!

The seas are vast, big and blue
and have many a man's stories threw.
The forests are emerald, life it bares
But still my face, blankly stares...

People are here, black and white.
Day in and out, it's a fight.
They're right, they're wrong, they're around
and still, i have no words to sound!

Love exists, it's red and deep
It's passion can from deep within seep,
It's claws are strong, they pull and scratch
But still, no word from my mouth, will hatch!

Oh, why can I not come to scribe
that word that I once used to bribe:
That flawless damsel I once knew.
That loving mother that always saw through.
The English teacher and her pen
The strict father and the cold war men...

Perhaps, my mind has been sold
To the one and zero that maths hold...
To logic and rule, of textbook note
To ideas that mere, a lonely man wrote!

© Naadir Vorajee

***

Matriculant 2013

***

Silent Skies ~ Uwais Coetzee

Inside me is a world
No person has ever seen
I'm its sole resident
No one else has ever been.
The world inside is living
Or at least it was,
The world outside is killing it
Like a bee losing its buzz.
My inner world used to shine
Now it's simply dull
Dying because of others
Like cattle being prepared for a cull.
The darkness is taking over
Bursting through the sky
Like a haze of misty nothingness
That no bird would even fly.
The world is being enveloped
By the darkness's deadly cries
Soon not much will be left,
Nothing but Silent Skies.


© Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 11
***

I Wonder ~ Uwais Coetzee

I live each day wondering
How I feel and why
A brewed pot of emotions
Should I laugh or cry ?
I'm happy to an onlooker
No problems at first glance
I keep all things locked inside
Will I tell ? Not a chance
I live each day in wonder
Contemplating life
Wondering "What's the point ?"
"Hey there's a knife"
I could end it all
In the blink of an eye
But I truly wonder
What will happen after I die ?
At my funeral
Will people cry ?
Will I be missed ?
When in the ground I'll lie
Lying whole in the ground
Are the pieces of me
I couldn't handle life
So I took it away, you see.


© Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 11
***

Goodbyes ~ Uwais Coetzee

We lived in different worlds
Lived in different bounds
We met by coincidence
From our different backgrounds

We knew different sounds
Difference views and sights
You were from the outside
But I knew city lights

We longed to explore the night
To count a million stars
And if it were a cloudy night
Replace them with moving cars

We wanted  long walks upon the hot tar
For someone , something
To return the love we would give so easily
Just for our hearts to sing

We needed life to bring
Bring us each other
We longed for the love
That we could give one another.

Then , that one summer
Life brought me you
I saw those eyes and fell for
That deep ocean blue

I thought it was true
But it was instead brief
Like winter upon the
Falling of a leaf

The time had come
For the love tree to die
And now here we stand
Saying our final goodbyes.
 

© Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 11
***