Table Mountain Connection

in ‘n land van beskaafdes jy was as frats ingehok en moes jy wag, suster baartman vir die vloek om weg te gaan: "Jirre, ek is een van djou tjeeners maarie mense hille algar sê ek is ‘n goggatjie moetie lat hille my seer- of doodmakie" maar as verlange jou byt kon jy gaan na ‘n beter plek met jou kaalvoet-gebed: "Jirre, as djy weer reënbooggoggatjies stuur om te kô kyk of dit genôg gereentit sê hille ‘seblief om my te kô haal" toe ferrus* jou oorskot vanuit die koue daar anderkant bring en jou vel die afrika-son voel het ons hulde gebring: "Jirre, vindag wil ons trug report – daar’s niks meer om oor te stry of te wonner oor vergewe en vergeetie…" want sara ís vry sý is vry sy is vrý * Diana Ferrus is welbekend vir haar gedig oor Sara Baartman. Haar gedig "Vir Sara Baartman" is gepubliseer in die Franse wet wat spesiaal gemaak is om Sara se terugkeer moontlik te maak. ©2009 Selwyn Milborrow

In de Ware Tijd, Suriname's leading newspaper, of November 29, 2008, the weekly literary page was devoted entirely to either poems written by Surinamese authors in South Africa, or poems by South African poets we met during Diversity is Power II. Online all seperate files can be seen when surfing to http://www.dwtonline.com/ and then, on the right hand side clicking on Literair. You'll have to become a member, which is free. Then open all separate files dated November 29, 2008. We will try to scan the page to show it to you here. The work that was published was by S. Sombra (South Africa), Stephanie Dippenaar (Afrika Rou), Anne Huits (Capetown 2008), Hilli Arduin (Black and Proud), Marius Absalom (Ek kom jou vrymaak), Soecy Gummels (Ode to South Africa), Karin Lachmising ('Vandaag voel ik mij dicht bij jou') and Rashid Benefeldt (My African-ness). Enjoy!

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

Is het de taal of het land de bergen of de zee de mensen of de warmte de geschiedenis die ik met je deel is het de gedachte de verwachting ik nie weet nie een connectie ja die een connectie met mensen in vrijheid van woorden zonder grenzen. Karin Lachmising