Face Cloth/Bathtime

Face Cloth

by

Bronwen Findlay

Compiled by Njabulo Ngobese

Day 10 of Women's month as AFH (Art for Humanity) continues to honour the women who are involved in the fight for children's rights.

A former student at the Natal Technikon and University of Natal, Bronwen Findlay who was born in Pietermaritzburg in 1953 is a celebrated figure in her trade as she has been actively involved in numerous solo exhibitions as well as participating in group exhibitions. She is a practising artist and teacher that has vast experience that stretches from Durban all the way to Johannesburg. Bronwen is currently teaching in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture at the University of Johannesburg where she runs a teacher training course and is involved in department teaching.

Bronwen Findlay was a proud participant in the Art for Humanity's "Break the Silence" HIV/AIDS awareness project.

Poem:

Bathtime

Yvette Christiansë

Shh. Listen. Splashing in the tub …

Is she a little partridge? Is he a chubby crow?

Shh. Listen. Under her chin, behind his ears.

Mamma’s long day still has a way to go,

so shh, under the arms, scruba-dub-dub …

One potato, two potato, three potato, four …

Playtime, nighttime, bath-time for

mamma’s little partridge, mamma’s little crow,

pecking at the face-cloth, kicking just for fun …

Shh. Listen. Thunder speaks and windows shake.

Quick, one more rub as floorboards creak. Shh,

mamma’s hard morning is just a night away

and little birds must go to sleep where thunder

is a whisper and heavy shoes can’t find them.

Nkarhi wo hlamba

Xitsonga translation coordinated by Dr Maria Letsie

Shh. Yingisela. Kulumbya ebavhini…

Ku nga va ku ri xinhwarhana? I vukuvuku ro nona?

Shh. Yingisela. Ehansi ka xilebvu xakwe, endzhaku ka tindleve takwe.

Siku ra manana lero leha ra ha lehile,

se shh, hansi ka mavoko, scruba-dub-dub…

Zambala rin’we, mazambala mambirhi, mazambala manharhu, mune…

Nkarhi wo tlanga, madyambu, nkarhi wo hlamba wa

swinhwarana swa manana,xivukuvukwana xa manana

swi lumetela xithawulana, swi tlanga hi ku rhahetela…

Shh. Yingisela. Ndlati ya vulavula na mafasitere ya tsekatseka.

Hatlisa, ku rhidimba ntsena nakambe fulobodo yi ku khweree. Shh,

swinyenyana leswintsongo swi fanele ku ya etlela laha ndlati

ku nga hlevetelo na titanghu leto tika ti nge swi kumi.

A Brief Biography of Poet & Novelist Yvette Christianse

Yvette Christiansë is a poet and novelist. She was born and raised in Johannesburg and Mbabane. She now lives in New York where she teaches at Fordham University.

Her book of poems Castaway was shortlisted for the PEN International Poetry Prize 2001. Her novel based on the life of a slave woman in the Cape Colony was released in November 2006. Her poetry, prose and scholarly writing have been published in South Africa, Australia, Canada and the USA.