He Was Fine During The Day ~ Uwais Coetzee

He was fine during the day
And despite the darkness
He was fine at night too.
Nothing could get him down
Nothing got in his way
Not other people's actions
And not the words they'd say.
He enjoyed people's company
And talking to them on the phone,
It was all okay even when he was alone.
He was happy all the way,
Every step, every mile
And life was getting better
Until he saw her smile.
Until he saw her being
Happy without him, when
Every memory of his happiness
Involved every moment with her.
It was like how a room needs
The light to be bright but the
Light doesn't need the room to shine.


© Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 12
***

I Say I'm Okay ~ Uwais Coetzee

I say I'm okay.
That's what I say at least.
It's what I feel during the day.
But at night it's different.
I say I'm okay
But why am I awake
Writing a poem at 1 am?
I say I'm okay but I do depressing
Things 24/7.
I lock myself up.
Skip meals.
Don't sleep.
Overthink.
When I'm not okay
I find myself in your chat
Because the simple thought
Of us talking calms
The storm.
Even if neither one of us is making
Much of an effort
It's some comfort in
My life that doesn't seem
At all friendly.
I say I'm okay
But I don't think I am.
I know I'm not.
But I say I am.
To avoid ruining your day
Yo avoid spoiling your mood
To avoid being a nuisance
To avoid being rude.
I find myself looking back
To when things were
Actually fine.
When I wasn't a nervous wreck
When I wasn't a depressing poet.
When I wrote poems about life and love
Because I tbought that was what I felt.
But it was a mindless infatuation
With you who I knew I'd never have.
I find myself hurting myself by
Still trying to love the idea
Of escaping in our conversation.
Every word is a pain.
Every leaf is a tree.
Every smile is the same.
None of them are for me.
I know I'm not happy.
I have no idea why.
But every deep breath
Simply ends in athe sigh.
You ask how I am,
I answer in the same way.
Every day is the same thing.
I say I'm okay.



©  Uwais Coetzee


***
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
***

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

***

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
***

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
***

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
***

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
***

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
***

Rough Copy ~ Uwais Coetzee

You were my final draft.
The one I wanted to keep
and show people that I could do something
with this life of mine.
So I gave my life to you,
handed in my final to be marked
and to be told whether I passed or failed,
got you or lost you.
You were all I had to show my life's meaning.
You were my final draft.
But I was only a rough copy to you.
To he thrown in the trash when you were done,
and you could find your final.
To me you were as beautiful as the falling snow
But one day you said "Okay I'm done now,
you may go."

© Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 10
***

To Be ~ Uwais Coetzee

You and I were meant to be ,
'To love and to hold'
'Till death do us part' I always used to think.
I loved you with every bone in my body
Every organ , every limb
But every time I looked at you ,
You looked at him.
Everything broke within me,
Shattered like glass
I thought 'How could you do this?'
'Do this to me?'
I thought all rivers made it back to the sea.
I was lost, I was gone,
I didn't know what to do.
Didn't know if I wanted to see next week
Or even tomorrow.
People say follow your heart
But if it's broken , which piece do you follow ?


©  Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 10
***

Fake ~ Palesa Matshaya

Her smile is fake
Her laugh is fake
She's dying inside
But you don't need to know that
So she fakes her smile
She fakes her laugh
She pretends everything is alright
Even though she's falling apart
Just for you...


©  Palesa Matshaya


*** 
Grade 8
***