From AbuDhabi to the World

The rush of adrenaline pumping through the jugular.
The brain pulsating with the overload of oxygen.
Each breath gets faster and deeper.
You feel as if the entire ocean has emptied itself into your lungs,
Yet in reality, you are just standing on the runway with your nose pointed towards your destination. Succumbing to Newton’s laws, you leave the ground
As swiftly as a dream that comes to you in the night.
It is time to grow your wings, take off and fly.
What is restraining your ambitions?
Is it your fear or your insecurities?
It could even be self-doubt and paranoia for always wanting to achieve perfection.
Let it all dissolve into oblivion.
Allow the ocean of air to diffuse into your imminent being.
Strive for Perfection-
It is not yet illegal.
Kill the doubt,
Assassinate the fear,
Obliterate the insecurities and
Bomb the opinions of other people.
Let your dreams be at the end of the runway.
Accelerate towards it with all your Passion, Love and Enthusiasm.
Do not let the hailstones and turbulence deter your morale-
It is all a part of the journey.
Believe that you are worthy enough
To enjoy the munsell shades of colours in the God-given sunrise.
Adjust the wing flaps, reconfigure the breaks and put it in gear.
Take a breath, envision God and move in the direction of your goals.
Advance the throttle part way…
And just lift off.


© Pryaska Goorhoo

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Matriculant 2017
***

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
***

Freedom ~ Naadir Vorajee

Look at that Bird, watch it fly:

Move the earth beneath it as time goes by.

Look at FREEDOM, spread it's wings

Touch your heaven as it sings...

Fly away birdy, take what was yours...

Break those chains as you break our laws!

Glide through the air: Beauty and pride,

Fly up higher from the rock you denied.

SHOW them your Plumage: make them wonder...

why the hell, they did blunder

to put a bullet in your heart

and take away your special part..

SHOW them,

peacemaker... Fly away!

Bring back heaven upon this day!

©  Naadir Vorajee 

***

Matriculant 2013

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Freedom ~ Methembe Mvelase

Man fights his offspring to prove he's right,
To show off his uncontested might
He murders, he kills, he destroys, he builds,
in his pursuit of a dream he'll never catch.

Imprisoned in a dream he can never escape from
Ever since the day he had came upon
Inspiration for him  to go through the trials
To fight for nothing, to bring his people smiles

They told him "To obtain freedom you will have to fight for it.
You must never turn back, you must be willing to die for it"
He believed what he was told, and did what he must do.
Now freedom he has obtained, and his blood spilled for what's "true".

©  Methembe Mvelase


***
Grade 10
***

The Imperfect Freedom ~ Nsiki Gwala

Leaves rustle in the Autumn breeze,
Following the call of the wild.
First, peacefully floating and drifting
On a rivulet of cold air.

Then, soaring and gliding - flying;
Cutting through the air, rising,
Reaching unknown heights.
Freedom beckons from afar,

Yet he stands behind bars.


©  Nsiki Gwala


***
Grade 10
***