Thoughts of Life ~ Mangaliso Xaba

Be Cautious In Everything You Practice Or Preach.
Aspire Diligently In Motion When Constructing Your Future Goals
And Excercise Your Actions Against The Depressions Utilised By Life.
Appropriate Yourself And Always Be Sure
To Invite The Lord Our Father In Every Event You tend to Come Across
Whether it Be In Happiness or In Devastation.
Always Understand that In Life
You Should Always Attempt Every Situation
With Peace, Harmony & Calmness.
Growth And Change Are All Part
Of The Levels In The Mysterious Game Titled "LIFE".
Be Sure To Never Allow A Negative Transition
To Linger In Your Soul, Remain Positive
No Matter What Your Situation Is.
Appreciate What You Possess,
Because One Day You Might Realise
That You Lost The Moon Whilst Counting The Stars.
Learn To Understand The Kind Of Person You Are,
(Strengths, Weaknesses, Morals, Values & Desires).
Because Being Able To Note The Kind Of Person You Are,
Gives You An Opportunity To Conquer All The Challenges Created
By LIFE.




© Mangaliso Xaba

***
Matriculant 2018
***

Sonnets ~ Uwais Coetzee

Sonnet 2

The enjoyment of this place
didn't compare to you.
But you lived at your own pace
and alone you grew.

Leaving me the single seed
in the forest, all alone.
I was enveloped by greed
and you became fully grown.

You left me to be the only stump
forced to listen to my heart's lonely thump
living in a world, being unappreciated

more and more, slowly being hated
for being me and feeling a certain way,
losing people I love every single day.

Sonnet 3

Trying to feel these things
to fit in with society.
Problems it brings
because I'm not normal, you see?

"The light in the dark
and the dark in the light
makes me want to embark
on a journey tonight"

To the lengths of the sky
he wanted to fly.
"But life is not eternal"

he said with a sigh.
Conveying his knowledge while on his deathbed.
"Live out my dreams" - the last thing he ever said.

Sonnet 4

Why I love you
is simple to me.
But my love which is true
is not normal, you see?

I love, from the bottom of my heart
and love comes from the depths of the soul.
Love, however, may not start.
But this love can be whole.

Although love is love,
love can be sore
and will hurt you right down to your core.

This is why I love,
it's the opposite, you see?
Not for love but for the pain you take away from me.


©  Uwais Coetzee

***
Grade 12
***

Lift Off ~ Donovan Livingstone's Graduation Speech, Harvard 2016

My Sister ~ Banele Kubheka

From the same womb
We were conceived
From the same breast
We fed.

So alike do we look
I was once called yours
So alike do we think
Every time an ultimatum comes up
I know exactly what you would have chosen.
So alike do we act
You would swear we were twins.

When I am in need
You are always beside me
When I am feeling down
Your motivational pep talk is always appreciated
When I am upset
I think only of you and my day is made

Hear me now
Let your problems be mine
For help is always at hand
Let your joys be mine
So we may enjoy each other’s company.

By blood
You are my sister
But by heart
You are the better me.


©  Banele Kubheka


***
Grade 10
***

Passion of Four ~ Grade 8 Group Poem

My passion is to dance

I started at four when I first got the chance

Now I don't give anything else a second glance,

this is the passion in which I`m trying to advance.

My passion is not something simple,

My passion gives me a thrill.

Behind my passion lies a lot of history,

But for now, my passion will remain a beautiful mystery.

My passion is food,

we all know its real good.

Different foods for different moods,

touch my food and trust me, I`ll become rude.

My passion is drawing and painting,

drawings show my emotions and feelings,

I do enjoy doing it in my extra time.

Everybody has a different passion,

For some it could be fashion,

For some it could be action,

But what makes a passion a passion,

Is that person`s devotion and reaction.

Mehnaz Jamil
Mika Datadin
Hannah Narrandes
Kudisha Singh


***
Grade 8
*** 

Dear You ~ Nishka Ramkhelawan

Dear: You

Please excuse my pride

when I declare that

You are the other

half to my shadow,

the eyes that glare

into my soul .

You are my virtue

and my conscious,

the other half of

my mind.



As a leaf dances

so carefree

in the warm

crisp air

so does my spirit

when I am with you.



You allow the waves

in the ocean

to elevate so high

they can reach

spiritual eternity.


You give my

soul a face

and my heart

a beat,

a purpose to

go on.



You complete me

And for that I will

always be indebted

to you.


©  Nishka Ramkhelawan


***
Grade 11
***

Nature's Only Friend ~ Bheka Madide

I am a tree,

In a light and promising forest.

October.

I am lonely and isolated

I have powerful roots

I am a mighty oak…

I help people with their problems

So they feel rested and relaxed,

I have no need for sparkling accessories 

Because they make me feel fake, 

I have my sunlight and things keeping me alive.

I am shielded by my leaves

I am a tree.

©  Bheka Madide


***
Grade 9
***

If I Should Die ~ Charné Williams

If I Should Die, Think Only This Of Me
Two Poems


The days I smiled, cried, fought
Putting my heart on the line, left feeling distraught.
Captured by love, unfailing hope.
If I should die think only this of me
Like a flower I grew, speaking my mind through and through
Not giving up on my beliefs and always staying true
Remember me as I illuminated dark rooms
Which spread the fear of dark, evil fumes
Somewhere between the heart-break and the tears
I managed to fight against my fears.
I lived every day as it was my last
Enjoying every moment, living fast
My love for singing, my passion that went with it
If I should die think only this of me
the mark I made be it small or big
the mark on your heart and on your life
Striving each and every day to make you smile
Just remember the life I lead.
When I’m in my worst moment or my best
As I’m laid to rest, I shall rest with you in my heart,
as it was from the start



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



If I should die, think only this of me.
My laughter when you cry,
My smile when you're sad.
Holding you tight in your sleepless nights.

On rainy days when the sky is grey
And there seems to be no way
I was there to guide you through

Although I might not be seen,
Know presence is real.

Think of me and my happiness.
My happiness to my last breath

Don’t cry or shed a tear
Because deep down,
You know I’ll always be near



© Charné Williams

***
GRADE 9
***

Two Poems by Zinhle

Lord, It's Fine

Lord, it's fine if they don't
see eye to eye with me.
Lord, it's fine if they can
do a way better job than I can.
Lord, it's fine if they undermine
my authorities.
Lord, it's fine if they tease me
about how I look.
Lord, it's fine!
Well, then I remember that You too
were hated by many
yet loved by few.
So it's fine!
Lord, I've learnt that you
give me more power than any
powerade drink.
You give me more knowledge
than any professor
and so the heart seeks
more attention
than what the mind thinks.
So it's fine!
Lord, You are my Redeemer
Lord, You are my Hope
Lord, You are my Faith
Lord, You are my Wisdom
Lord, You are my Shield
Lord, You are my Eternal Life
Therefore, it's fine!


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

The Day You Cut My Hair

Oh my! How I hated that day
I felt so uneven
I felt so unwanted
I felt so unhelpful
My dearest teacher, Why me?
As I entered the door
you grabbed my hand
you took a pair of scissors
The whole class froze in anticipation
and all the way through my hair you went
Oh my! How I hated that day
'My pretty long hair,' I cried
'Why, why, why, why?' I asked
You never replied
and so I cried my eyes out
in hopes that the whole school
would hear me
Yet you gave me a grin and said,
'Please, Zinhle, just stop it!'
Oh my! How I hated that day!

Zinhle Ndlovu

***
GRADE 8
***

Meleza Jali ~ We Are Girls

We keep going
Even with tears running down
We say the simple words
“I’m Fine”
 We are Girls

We live to the full
Sharing and giving
Bringing life into the world
We are Girls

We fall in love easily
For we see beauty in everyone
We laugh way too loudly
We are imperfectly perfect

We are pretty clumsy
We sometimes fight
And some days, nothing seems to go right
We are girls

Strong
Beautiful
Unique


© Meleza Jali


***
GRADE 9
***

Yuktha Singh ~ A Long Walk Alone

(Inspired by a newspaper article)

I’m on a long walk, all alone by myself,
Walking but not knowing where to.
I do, however know what I’m looking for:
Success, determination and ambition.

Temperatures less than mild
The freezing, howling wind
So strong and wild,
But that- never mind.

No shoulder to cry on,
My clothes so dirty
So ragged and tattered-
Why was I born?

I wish I had love, a family.
I’m all by myself- on my very own.
I wish I lived happily,
Instead of living this life-
A long walk alone.

I will take each day with Strength by my side,
No more tears and fears with each stride.
A path chosen for me, so bleak;
The power and success for I will seek!


© Yuktha Singh


***
GRADE 9
***

Nsiki Gwala ~ Dear Heavenly Father

Lord you are my Alpha and Omega.
You feed me, the homeless beggar.
Lord you’re the future and the past,
You’re the first and the last.

The creator of heaven and earth
In you there’s renewal and rebirth.
In you Lord there’s unconditional and eternal love,
Which you have given me from the heavens above.

Lord you’re the author of my life,
Who’ll take away pain, hardship and strife.
You’re my creator - my Messiah,
Who created David, Abraham and Isaiah.

Lord you’ve always been and will always be there,
Through my sorrows, my doubts and despair
And will be there till the end of days -
Lord, surely you’re worthy to be praised.

Lord you’re the father and the protector,
Who doesn’t condone the destroyer and defector.
A God who loves the world so
To let his one and only son go

That those who believe, be freed from pain
And in heaven be born again.
Lord with you I will perish never,
For I will live in your house forever.
Amen.

© Nsiki Gwala


***
GRADE 9
***

Aryan Mootheeram ~ Hearts

Found in many different shapes and sizes
It can be molded according to one’s personality.

The heart of a woman is true.
Men think of it as fragile and gullible,
falling easily for the words of a charming man.
They do not know however that a woman’s heart
can be as hard and cold as a rock.
It is fragile but can shatter the hearts of others.
Cold but has the ability to make a man’s heart melt.
Impenetrable but when accepted you’ll never want to leave.

The heart of a baby is pure.
Untouched by the evils of the world,
it has the ability to brighten up days
for those who suffer from the grievances of life.
Even though a baby may be small,
Its heart is twice the size of that of its body.

The heart of a man is hard.
Cold and cruel it only accepts a few.
Those who manage to carve their way through to its core
are protected from many dangers.
They have a place of shelter for when they are sad.
You are safe when you have a man’s heart around.

The heart of a teenager is confused.
Trying to find its place in society it faces many challenges.
It is adventurous and looks for love even in the darkest places.
It will be used and that is inevitable but it is up to its owner
to make the correct choices.
It will need to learn from its own mistakes.

The heart of a person will change continuously.
If you treat it with care, it will nourish your body with love and warmth.
Throw it to the dogs, break it in half or tear it to pieces
And it will make you hard and cold.
You are the creator of your own destiny...

© Aryan Mootheeram


***
GRADE 9
***

Yuktha Singh ~ This Poem is a Painting, a Ball and a Boomerang

This poem is an abstract painting.
This poem is a ping- pong ball.
This poem is a boomerang!
 
This poem is an optical illusion to your mind,
It keeps you thinking and thinking…
It is a web of many paths, views and legends.
Each step can either construct, leading you on to more paths
Or destruct, ending your journey before it even begins.
This poem is an abstract painting.

This poem is a white ping-pong ball
Which bounces past your eyes
Before you even know it.
White, yet so colourful,
Empty and hollow yet so full.
The rhythm of that ping-pong ball compels you
To wrap your mind around it and focus.
Its ultimate aim- to entertain
This poem is a ping-pong ball.

This poem is a boomerang
That will always come back to you,
Despite everything else.
It moves at the speed of sound and
Just when you think it’s slowing down,
It never loses its momentum.
It finds any possible ways to turn around
So that it doesn’t collide into the ground.
When you feel like you are going down,
Losing momentum like the boomerang does-
This poem will come back to you.

This poem is an abstract painting that tangles your mind.
This poem is a simple, yet complicated ping-pong ball.
This poem is the boomerang that never loses momentum!

© Yuktha Singh


***
GRADE 9
***

Meleza Jali ~ This Poem is a Child, a Butterfly and a Dream

This poem is a child
This poem is a butterfly
This poem is a dream

This poem brings joy to life
It believes in no danger
This poem is innocent
And only commands love
This poem is a child

This poem is a wonderful creation
It desires the wind beneath its wings
and searches the earth
it is as graceful as can be
This poem is a butterfly

This poem crashes down on your skull
It lingers in your sleep
And remains deep in the shadows
This poem went away years ago
This poem is a dream

This poem is a growing child
This poem is the soaring butterfly
This poem is the long lost dream.                                  

© Meleza Jali


***
GRADE 9
***