Children Should Be Seen And Heard/My World In Mama's Hands

Children Should Be Seen And Heard

by

Avitha Sooful

Compiled by Njabulo Ngobese

"I decided it is better to scream. Silence is the real crime against humanity" - Nadezhda Mandelstam, Russian writer, Hope Against Hope

Avi Sooful holds a Masters degree in Fine Art from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban. She is currently a senior lecturer at the Vaal University of Technology, Vanderbijlpark. She has participated in various exhibitions nationally and internationally. Her most recent exhibition was at the Cité Internationalle des Arts, Paris.

Poem:

My world in Mama’s hands

Lebogang Mashile

My world is in Mama’s hands and in Papa’s lap

On Oupa’s shoulders and on Gogo’s back

My world is an unformed promise

As soft as my flesh

Laced with a ferocious warning

Not to harm a hair’s breath

A different hue of love is calling

One compose of rivers wept

By those before me who prayed for morning

I crawl on their steps

In Mama’s hands and in Papa’s lap

On Oupa’s shoulders and on Gogo’s back.

I am a new day

Touch me gently

There is no going back.

Lefatshe la ka Matsohong a mme

Sesotho translation: Mohau Letsie

Lefatshe la ka moetshong a mme hedima ntate

Mahetleng a ntatemolo le mokotlong wa nkgono

Lefatshe la ka ke thepiso sa hlophiswang

Le bonolo jwaloka letlalo la ka

Le tletse dihlokomediso tse bohale

Hore ho seke ha utlwiswa moya bohloko

Mofuta o fapaneng wa lerato o ntse o bitsa

O tshwanang le noka ha e lla

Jwaloka bao ba tlileng pele ho nna ba rapella mafube

Ke kgasa mehlaleng ya bona

Matsohong a mme le hodima ntate

Mahetleng a ntatemoholo le mokokotlang wa nkgono

Ke letsatsi le letjha

Ntshware ka hloko

Ha ho sa na ho kgutlela morao

A Brief Biography Of Lebogang Mashile

Lebo Mashile has been called the ‘It’ Girl of South African poetry, a wordsmith extraordinaire, a visual verbalist, an icon of modern South African poetry. Lebogang’s tireless work ethic has earned her creative titles including published author, executive producer, actress, poet, independent record producer, corporate and independent event MC, life skills facilitator/speaker and television series presenter.

Lebo takes on social debate and it is reflected in her continually increasing body of work. In 2004, Lebo debuted as a film actress in the Academy Award Nominated Hotel Rwanda, directed by Terry George. Also in 2004, Mashile became executive producer and presenter of the SABC 1 documentary series L’Attitude, now in its third season.

Lebo Mashile was named by Cosmopolitan Magazine, as one of South Africa’s Awesome Women of 2005.