The Poet Sombra Returns to South Africa

On the opening night of the festival, October 8, 2008, Surinamese poet Sombra recited a poem. A new poem, no one had ever heard it before. How new it was, became clear when he was asked to say the lines once more, so that the writer Rappa could translate the words to English. It had just then, at the moment of standing there in front of the audience, come to him. Sombra's eyes had connected to those of a man from Suriname and the words just flowed through the air, and flowed right back to the people, as now, they flow to you.

South Africa
Dusun yari psa
mi ben dya

Baka di yu sribi
bigi winti
wai mi go we
noya mi e aksi yu
gi mi yu anu
langa yu anu gi mi
teki mi baka

Tide mi de dya

S. Sombra, oktober 2008