The Purest Truth ~ Naadir Vorajee

I went upon a lonely walk and
stumbled upon a heart
I wanted to know the warmth it held so
I took it all apart
Its tears fell upon my face as
I felt all of its pain
I often took and never returned and
still that heart remained
When I got to the last piece
it sang a song of praise
It's sound so pure and peacefully put
until my end of days...
I never forgot that heart I broke,
its soft touches were sharp
It pierced my skin and entered my soul like
the sound from Orpheus' harp.

True love stands tall, its width unbound
it tells its truth to one
It never forgets its chosen soul even
when it is none.


Naadir Vorajee

***
Matriculant 2013
***

Three Poems ~ Lindokuhle Mbatha

Life vs School

We see life at different perspectives
but we never see life as something good
why should it always be something sad
why is today's youth so depressed
Depressed because we taught how to be like that
Why can't schools teach us how to be
a good entrepreneur or something better
But we get taught about things we'll never need
Life and school is all the same
but it's how you look at the two different perspectives

Mind vs Heart

We choose in two different ways
Think about it
There is love at 1st sight
There is love after being friends with someone
Looking at her for the 1st time
made me think she was the one
when i never knew what was going inside
that mind and heart of hers
Knowing she was one beautiful girl
everyone knew and loved
but if only they knew
what was going on in that mind and heart
Many people like her body and smile
but they never know what is going in that mind and heart
Where does love reflect?
The mind or the heart?
That's one question we should all ask ourselves.

What is Happening in This World?

Why are young women being treated like this?
They are our future but yet we destroy them like this
Young women are being humiliated and left alone
and some don't even get the chance to be able to open
those precious , God given eyes because their souls are taken away
What is really happening to this world
What happened to unity
What happened to equality
This world is turning into something else
We state to love the ones we love
and say we don't want to lose them
yet we do everything to destroy and lose them...
What is happening to this world?



© Lindokuhle Mbatha

***
Grade 11
***

He Took His Own: 3 Poems ~ Uwais Coetzee

He Took His Own

He thought about her eyes
And how they were perfectly blue
And how she had an accent
The quirk when she said ‘’you’’.
Well maybe not an accent
But it was different from his own.
And how when she started sentences
It was always in a higher tone.
How her hair was straight yet curly
And it was blonde yet brown
And how the fly aways took with the wind
And were always flying around.
How her feet were small and compact
And she just had a certain poise.
How she was innocent yet broken
And always chose the wrong boys.
How she made him think so
And he thought he was right
But clearly she had other ideas
And now he struggles to sleep at night.
Now he lies awake thinking that
Maybe she’ll come back
But time was running out for this
And its not the only thing he’d lack.
She was classy and friendly
All at the same time
And he felt inferior
Like his love was a crime.
Time went on as
She found someone new
But he kept falling for her
Through and through.
He became desperate
And had not outgrown
But she carried on with life
As he took his own.

He Wanted

He had thoughts that flowed
Through his mind like the Nile.
He had words that would go
Mile after mile.
He knew that she loved poetry
And he knew that she loved art.
He wanted her to love him too
But he wouldn’t know where to start.
He wanted her to love him,
Wanted her to be his fan,
Wanted her to be his girl,
wanted to hold her hand
and play with her hair
because she was flawless
and way beyond compare.
He couldn’t say a thing
And he was struck by fear
Because his words meant nothing
If someone else was whispering in her ear.

He Wondered

He wondered about other things
In the gaps of his mind
And any other thing
That he could find.
He wondered about the sky
And the falling of the rain
He wondered about the world
And why there was pain.
He wondered about the fish
And their swimming in the sea
And he wondered about
Himself to a degree.
He wondered about his life
And where he was on his way to
And why he wanted happiness
Through and through.
But the thing that was constant
And all that he could find
Was her smile and how it
Drifted through his mind.

©  Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 12
***

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

***
Matriculant 2017
***

Sober Mind Unfiltered ~ Gugu Buthelezi

Like photons through skyline I show myself
So if you think you know me you need some help
Mastered the game like I'm Roshi
We're seemingly so close but do you really know me?
I've hated telling people we're just mates
Wanted to make it more special but too high were the stakes
Like a patty on top of the bun, it's really rare
Followed her to get over you but found nothing there
Nothing quite like the sight of you together to make me despair
Learning to let it go, Anna would be proud
You're supposed to take me to the 9th cloud,
Not make me feel like I'm beneath the ground.


© Gugu Buthelezi


***
Matriculant 2017
***

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
***

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
***

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
***

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
***

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
***

I Am Me ~ Uwais Coetzee

I am who I am
My thoughts flow like the River Nile
Through the vast maze of my mind
The magical abyss that I is my soul
As deep as the oceans that gill up our world
Are my thoughts,
My feelings,
My innermost feelings,
Writing the eternal test of life
Without knowing what to study
Each day is a challenge,
A new puzzle,
In this eternal labyrinth
Not knowing the end from the start,
Left from right
Life has made me who I am
The challenges have shaped me,
Moulded me into myself
Each day brought a key to be opened
Without giving me the key,
They made me who I am,
I am me.


©  Uwais Coetzee


***
Grade 10
***

Immune ~ Uwais Coetzee

Love, hate,
Fear and pain
All emotion is, is a burden
on people who just want to live their lives
Without the struggles of the common man.
Be yourself, nobody else
Be a you fan
They destroy your heart
Like the lands and erosion
Be like ice, be cold,
Be immune to emotion.


©  Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 10
***

Contrast ~ Omhle Duma

I knew I was never your favourite student; knew at five years old that you would never treat me the same as the kids with the long hair and pearly white skin.
I knew.
I know I was never your first choice, always the last resort.
The ‘if I must’ option, the ‘just to add colour to this’ option; even though you liked your walls white you added some of my colour.
You never liked the big black spot in the middle of your clean white wall, never enjoyed much the sight of my small hand on your knee;
I knew.
But my Daddy taught me that, you Omhle, you are beauty in its finest form.
You are a tree that never withers, an earth shattering thunder, a crash of dangerous but oh so beautiful lightning.
He told me that I was skyscraper in a city where the only things the people are surrounded by are two storey buildings.
My daddy told me I was great, I unlike the rest, was born to shake the course of this world.
I was never meant to let the earth rotate peacefully on its axis, instead I challenged it to rotate forty degrees upside-down and see if it would look forty degrees my way to see the angle I looked most beautiful in.

But you, you wanted me to be quite, to stay in a box so that the only time you would take me out is when guests came over;
Hold me like some porcelain doll and say: “My, isn’t this piece of chunky brown child, this ebony skin, this curly hair and brown eyes- isn’t it so precious?”
And everybody would nod and play with my hair like I was some sort of consolation prize that had “Handle with care” written in the soles of my feet.
I was never taught to be careful.
Always taught extremity; always black, always white never here nor there.
But you, you white colour on the outside and red rage on the inside never was much attracted to us brown skin folk.
And the thing is, even if my hair had been straight you would still not have acknowledged me.
You would still speak at me and not to me, speak at a distance as if, if my words landed on you, you would be drenched in my mud.

Have you never been told that the earth is where it all began?
That brown is the colour of earth that rich soil is brown, the darker it is the more good things will come out of it?
I guess this is why you never really liked me; you never appreciated the beauty of my rich soil, left my good parts, my fertile parts always longing for a taste of your water.
I guess you loved to see me beg.
But now, now I realise I would have taken dirty brown water all over again because your clear water wasn’t all that anyway;
Instead the brown water had character, had identity, had personality and your clear water looked just like everyone else.


©  Omhle Duma


***
Grade 12
***

She Made It ~ Yashoda Naidoo

This is for the girl
who has attended more
funerals than weddings,
introduced herself to more doctors than
friends, yet
she capable of winning more
battles than lose.

This is for the girl
who will always be
stronger than she looks
and braver than she thinks
This is for the girl
who tattooed an electric smile,
lightning laughter, and
candid charisma.

This is for the girl
with enough backbone
to face any challenge
and resist any monkey wrench
thrown at her.

This is for the girl
who is a hero
with super powers beyond
even her own comprehension.

This one is for the girl
who wakes up every morning
and fights off her demons
so well that the rest of us
fail to remember they
ever even existed.

This one is for you.

©  Yashoda Naidoo


***
Grade 9
***

Her ~ Banele Kubheka

Her eyes
Her nose
Her ears
Her mouth

Her smile
Her body
 Her soul

Her eyes
Betraying none of her thoughts
Her opinions
Nor her feeling

Her mouth
Uttering words that made no sense
Words that have deeper meaning
Words that have passion
A passion to entice.

Her smile
Deceiving and sly
Fooling any chance taker
Harassing them.
Yet cute and inviting
True to certain entities
To certain extents

Her frown
Voicing her woes
Her dismays and disappointments
Her broken promises and unfulfilled dreams
Yet subtle
Not loud like her grin.

Her grin
Her happy place
Her haven
Her dreams-come-true
Her hopes
But like a blue moon
Seldom does it occur.

Her soul
Her personality
Her character true to her spirit
Protective yet innocent.
Dependent
Dependent on the truths of others
Acceptance of peers
The care of everyone
Mostly the love of those closest to her

Yet she asks for nothing
Her generosity exploited
Little does she say for she knows
Pride comes before a fall
Thus she basks in humility.


©  Banele Kubheka


***
Grade 10
***

Two Short Poems by Vriti Maharaj

Poem about Poetry

Who is this poetry we speak of?
Hidden underneath the exterior,
Lies a depth of secretive meaning,
It may be colourful or dismal,
Joy or despair,
It only takes a pen and paper,
To let others see what I’m experiencing.
So concise yet so deep,
It proves,
A little can be a lot.



*************************************************

Adolescence 

Ambivalence,
Confusion,
Heartbreak.
What is this sin that I have to pay?
I search for my place,
Through this labyrinth of adolescence.
The reality breaks free rushing towards you,
This is life!
Filled with pain and pleasure.
It is time to embrace this emotional rollercoaster.
The joys and blues,
All will soon disappear,
After all I’m just a teenager.



© Vriti Maharaj


***
Grade 10
***

Heartbreak, Heartache ~ Grade 8 Group Poem

Heartache...
Heartbreak...
That's what it felt like,
To be discriminated against.
And for what exactly?
For just being me.
So what I like the same sex.
So what I was attracted to you

Isn't happiness all that counts?
So why take my happiness away?
Take me away from you.
Why make me unhappy?
Discrimination shouldn't,
Taking you away from me.

Same sex.
Same love.
This should be okay to.
It's nothing new.
Think of the future,
In with new.
Out with discrimination,l
Take your opinions to.

I understand now,
Equality is key.
You are you,
And I am me.
I shouldn't think this way,
I guess it should be okay.
I'm done with discrimination,
I want equality to.

So why be reluctant to accept us?
If you can be,
Why can't we?



Jessica Gibbons 
Neha Singh 
Rachel Sinclair 
Sajna Ramdin
Jadida Kalim 
Abdur Asmal 
Nirvay Parthab


***
Grade 8
***

I am me, I love being me ~ Sphelele Majola

I am fearfully and wonderfully made by God
I was not made for you to be the judge of me

I was not created to please people
neither was I created to tease people

I am me
I will change for no one
and I will let no one rule my life

I am a wonderful individual
and not your personal slave

I may have flaws
but so do you
Nobody is perfect

No one is given the right to judge others
Or to force them to do something that they don't want to do

All those artificial stuff may make you feel beautiful
But beauty is only skin deep
It's what's inside of you that matters

I love being me...
Imperfect as I am!


©  Sphelele Majola


***
Grade 8
***

Shattered Heart/ Significant ~ Nishka Ramkhelawan

Shattered Heart

If a shattered heart
represents despair
please don’t shatter my heart
because you live there.
For my heart is weak without you
the birds within it no longer sing,
And under no circumstances will it ever be new
with another being.

My heart is like a piece of glass
that you have the power to break,
And although it isn’t precious brass
only you can stop the ache.

Without you I refuse to be free
Will you please come back and let my heart be?



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



Significant

Today, I feel so significant
as if I have the world at my feet
I can feel the strength running through my veins
And the last bit of trepidation leaving my  soul

I feel inimitable, invigorated and unregimented
No longer will I be intimidated.

Today I am independent!



© Nishka Ramkhelawan


***
Grade 11
***

Cliche/ Blanket ~ Cheron L'Estrange

Cliché  

I don't want to be
a cliché
making desperate attempts
at individuality
like everybody else
does
        Do we all think this?


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


Blanket

I'll knit myself a new blanket
of lies
and smother in it slowly.
A knitted blanket.
with plenty holes.
and many, many
clashing colours.
-just like the one you knitted me


©  Cheron L'Estrange


***
Grade 10
***