i remember ~ Andrew Allan

[in memory of JUSTIN MAREE a friend]

                                                                                             i remember our fun times together

from first to our last

memories forbidden from being disremembered

a declaration established by philotes herself

for we were friends meant to be

no matter time apart nor count of words pronounced

i remember searching for and painting pinecones

during each occasion hypnos had lost his clasp on us

as we were raiders uncovering our latest catch

artists crafting our supreme masterpiece

heroes leaving legends in that very daycares walls

I remember descending wet grassy hills on cardboard

during the prepared appearance of zeus

impersonating snowboarders

snowboarders we so desperately desired to be

i remember comparing and sharing games

like spies distributing secrets from within the matrix

while loki chuckled at our adjacent

i remember experimenting on our skateboards

with hermes influencing us to reach unattainable speeds

i remember watching over you from a distance

 © andrew allan


***
Grade 12
***

Do you fare well in America? ~ Mika Datadin

For Jadida Kalim

We have entered the night to tell our tale

For it is then that we can come out

It is then that we are accepted

And real



During the day we are expected

To show ourselves only to be chastised

We are expected to leave our homes

And face the danger that lurks outside



But in the early hours of the morning

We come out to play

To meet friends from across the globe

To help those in need of an ear

To hear their woes



During the day we are occupied

With ink-filled papers and

Ink-filled minds

Pens grow out of our hands

Formulas spill out of our eyes



But when the sun begins to set

I can meet you over text, my friend

And forget for a while

That you're somewhere away from here, some thousands of miles


©  Mika Datadin

***
Grade 11
***

You Are Golden ~ Marlize van der Merwe

My heart, my kindness things that are righteous
I write this poem to you, I hope that you like it.
Kissing your lips, holding your hand
You've made this broken guy into a once again wholesome man
You're sweet and kind
You're that sweetheart of mine
Like a brain tumor baby you stay on my mind.
I love hearing you laugh and seeing you smile
You've made me feel what I haven't felt in a while
Loved and appreciated
Thank you Baby I appreciate it!
This may be just the beginning I'm hoping it won't end
Thank you for keeping it real showing me others were pretend
If you need a hand baby both arms to you I will lend, extend
You're my love, my boo, my best friend
For you I am grateful
I'm hungry for your kisses
Your lips are so tasteful
What you bring to the table sure is a plate full
When it comes to your heart I sure am not playful
I will not toy with your emotions
Because Honey you fill up my world like the Oceans.


© Marlize van der Merwe

***
Grade 10
***

Friends ~ Lindokuhle Mbatha

Music is the answer
Poets have their own answers
Friends support you
Friends backstab you
Friends always laugh with you
Friends never leave you when times are great
Friends always have the answers when there's no trouble
But wait until there's trouble friends disappear
Friends look at you like they don't know you anymore
Friends will do somethings with you
But you'll always find yourself in trouble and they won't be
Friends think with you
Friends are friends when times are great
But when days are dark you won't have a friend


© Lindokuhle Mbatha 

***
Grade 9
***

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

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
***

I Swear Drunk I'm Not Mom ~ Banele Kubheka

We were at the mall
When we got a call
It was Bae's birthday
Her heyday
So she sent us a Mayday
She was having a celebration
She had all our attention and concentration
Luckily it was Friday
Previous day was pay day
The perfect set up so they say
All I needed was composure
Prevent all this exposure
To this party we brought life
Refreshments and hype
Getting down like crazy
Nobody could phase me
We let bygones be bygones
Our differences were gone
Like stars we shone
Like I said before
This all happened until four
There is no need to be glum
I swear drunk I'm not mom.


©  Banele Kubheka

***
Grade 10
***

Prodigal Son ~ Siyabonga Dlamini

Tribute to Siphe Ndimande

Brother,we can never express how we currently feel
Our tears may run out, but our hearts shall never heal
You understood all, brought joy where you could
But I guess you found yourself misunderstood
Throughout your life, bless all the friends that you gained
But even a smile can hide so much pain
Your healing smile, laughter resonating in our heads
But I guess your soul had to be put to bed
The lips can never say what the mind wishes to
All the memories, all you've been through
Our minds are in constant chaos,yet we remain speechless
You will forever be with us until the end
Because to us you were more than just a friend...



© Siyabonga Dlamini


***
Grade 12
***

This is What We Are! ~ Naadir Vorajee

Run away and take my good,
your hopes and dreams you'll find...
Fly away and take what's mine!
Your Hopes and Dreams you'll bind...

You came to me with N O T H I N G
and sorry eyes I saw
You came to me with N O T H I N G
but true happiness I watered and bore.

I taught you what I knew
and showed what I'd learnt.
I held your heart inside my hand
but now you leave me b u r n t...

I helped you through your hardship
and made you build a fort
I asked for your help in return...
you told me - "life's too short!"

Now you stand there P-R-O-U-D and TALL,
your achievements you have grasped!
here I stand all old and small
without
the happiness I once clasped.

I needed help and looked to you...
You showed me to the door.
You needed help and looked to me,
I was only glad to give more.

Life's unfair, it's cold an cruel.
It makes you feed your own.

It takes the warmth from deep within us
It shivers us to the bone...


©  Naadir Vorajee


***
Matriculant 2013
***

Strangers Again ~ Chichi Kamushi

We were inseparable
We were like brother and sister
Until we drifted apart,
We became a definition of loneliness.

Our bond was broken
And not a word was spoken
No communication whatsoever
Memories started to fade away forever,

You knew everything about me
My fears, favourite things and what I wanted to be
But we went from strangers to friends,
And back to strangers again.


©  Chichi Kamushi


***
Grade 8
***

A Farewell to My Classmates ~ Samke Mvelase

As I sit here in class

I observe my dearest friends

and look forward to the year coming to an end

we had so many moments together

most good and some bad.

Those blonde moments we had

Mostly, just all the memories

I will always remember the good times

and erase the bad and all the hate

with happiness and sadness

we all go out the door.

With great hope and expectations

for the future .

I will never forget my crazy classmates

and the quiet ones.

©  Samke Mvelase


***
Grade 8
***

'Til We Meet Again ~ Neha Singh

You told me not to cry when you were gone,
But this feeling's overwhelming
Its much too strong.

I'm missing you like crazy.
I now feel this emptiness,
Like something's missing.
Then I remembered,
It's because I lost you.

Grief has taken over me.
I didn't want to lose you...
And what about goodbye?
Did you forget all about that?

Now I'm left with discomfort.
You were my confidant.
You were my other half.
But most of all,
You were my best friend.

Our friendship was forever,
But it pains me that we aren't together.
I need my best friend.
I need you.

Not one day passes that I don't miss you,
That I don't miss your presence.

But the day will come,
When I will meet you again
In the afterlife I guess.

I'll be waiting for that day,
When we are finally reunited.
I'll have my best friend again,
And then maybe I'll be complete once more.


©  Neha Singh


***
Grade 8
***

Lethal ~ Nishka Ramkhelawan

Just when all seemed to be alright

and contentment danced

the salsa in circles...



 this dark hand rises above my head

and drives it down again.



Out of the deadness

 of my distress,

 anguish slowly crept its way out,

 as a lethal black spider intertwined

 a weighted, diaphanous web

around the mourning that

clinched me to the casket.



My heart was sick.

This depression was lunacy

I’m insane with grief.



Without you is like living

with a lack of heat.

The fire within me

has been extinguished.



It is a burden

staggered beneath pain.


©  Nishka Ramkhelawan


***
Grade 11
***

You ~ Nishka Ramkhelawan

If I could rewind time
just to be in your presence again
I would do it
at any expense it may be.
Even if it were for a moment
or two
I would give anything
Just to see you.
For the pain that you have left me with
is just too deep
That it simply cannot be summarized
in words that can be written.
I miss our everlasting conversations
and your eternal scent.


The struggles that I face
without you every single day
are struggles that I’m sure with never go away.


I miss the way you could make me smile
when nobody else could
and the way you used to
hold me tight
like I was the only one you cherished.


Time will heal everything
or at least that’s what they say
So I continually watch the clock
As time slowly fades away.


I miss those daily, inspirational messages
that I used to receive from you
And the way you could style my hair
And every day that goes on
I wish to see you there.


But now that you are gone
my heart is gone too
because I don’t think
I will meet
another person
who  will ever
compare to
you.


©  Nishka Ramkhelawan


***
Grade 11
***

End & Other Poems ~ Karabo Masinga

END



A friend is whom one knows, likes and trusts.
Its difficult to find a special bond like us.
A best friend is the one friend who is closest to you,
With joy, laughter and mischief you do.
A boyfriend is male friend whom you share feelings for.
Who should to you - love, cherish and adore.
A girlfriend is a female friend whom you are involved with.
Beautiful & graceful like mother earth.
Sadly all this relationships eventually end
Even though you try so hard to mend.
All of this words conclude in E...N...D.
That's how you know it was never meant to be.

A substance with energy and is good.
It has no end and it is food.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



STUDY



Study, study now.
Mother insists I do so.
Studying never!




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




SORRY



"Sorry" is a word of sorrow,
Which sometimes the meaning is so hollow.
Apologies will only be accepted
When we know our hearts are protected.




©  Karabo Masinga




***
Grade 10
***

Three Short Form Poems ~ Malwazi Moholi

*Unknown*

I look at you
Praying to see affection
And affection I don't see
It hurts
To know I don't know
What you feel
Your feelings are unknown
Your glances are familiar, though,
I don't know what to think
So as I slowly walk away
My fingers crossed
For you to stop me
And tell me
You still like me

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Truly Divided*

I am divided
Slowly drifting
Between two loves
My typical annoying class friend
Or my first love who hurt me

Love is tough
The fight hurts
The kisses are sweet
With a sting
But shattering...
Nobody understands

I love him
I like him
I need him
I want him
What to do?

I'd rather be hurt
Than do the hurting

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Forever and Always My BFF*

The sun
Shining down on her
Dancing, Singing and having fun
My bestfriend
Annoyingly, Beautifully
Loved by me and many more
Lisie


© Malwazi Moholi

***
GRADE 9
***

I Took the Time ~ Siyabonga Dlamini

I took the time...
To go beyond what I see
Beyond skin, nerves, cells and tissue
Beyond what is only visible to the blind eye
What science recognizes only as part of the mind

I took the time to know you
Your psychological self
Your skills, weaknesses and passions
Your visions, dreams and aspirations
What only lies between membranes and neurons
As illuminating sparks

Taking all the time to know you
Every single memory made
It's surprising to get a response
That couldn't do the same
Claims of friendship all false from your lips
'Cause three years later you forgot I exist

I took the time to know you
Like how a true best friend would
Like Bugs knows Daffy despite
His selfishness, inconsideration and rudeness
It all seems like nothing, compared
To how you were ruthless

All this precious time wasted
On a meaningless journey
It's like working your whole life
But not living to spend your earnings
We claim to understand
but we're misunderstood
Because not all friendships last
As long as they should...

Copyright Siyabonga Dlamini

***
GRADE 11
***

My Final Goodbye, Friend ~ Asanda Makhubo

(Dedicated to my late best friend Ziyanda Hlela)


No one understands the way I feel
Why the good die so young,
My world feels constantly hazy though,
I do not show it
My world is like a muddy puddle
When I think about you,
When I cry I tell myself “stop crying you don’t cry”
Then I remember why I feel a torturing pain in me
She is already dead get over it I hear,
It’s really not that easy
No matter how hard I try I’ll never get you back
I lie when I say I’m okay to go to school and face all of those faces
My head feels cloudy,
As I stand in front of the school frozen in my steps
The breeze flicks my hair back and forth
The day feels colder than usual
Colder than winter,
Because she is not here to warm me up with her presence
Silently screaming in my head as the world continues swirling around me
My best friend
She is gone but I’m okay
I can now feel her presence around me
I cry because I never said goodbye
She was my guardian angel, a sister
I can now say she passed on without bursting into tears,
“Heart problems” I will always whimper
It’s in God’s hands now
And I will never doubt his decision
Because she is still here watching over me
This is my final goodbye,
Ziyanda I will never forget you
Rest in peace and yes I will always love, you…

© Asanda Makhubo

***
GRADE 8
***