African Silence

African silence Since when have you been speaking? Like a thunder you have been In which language have you been teaching? Like a master you had seen My son saying what you think costs life From where are you accent? Bantu land My son, from where did you fall? Zongo In doing what you can’t say, Mpungo a Ndongo Saying what you cannot do, Yalukeni Until you suffer silence that can hear sound. Silence, I say silence, pray and cry, this is it Since when do you shout, trying to fit in and out? Like a comedian you try to insert tears in eyes In which tone can you cry to tell this story? Kulu Mbimbi tells her story better than you do My son wipe out your tears, use your ears Learn to silence your frustration, be silent Go read, I have been there before you. I am silent Crowding, shouting, thinking what you will say The cost of bloody confrontation to the line of death Just write out your emotion, bring in your commotion Until you sleep, wait, silence, I say be silent, use it Use silence to speak to teach to sleep, you are still Since when have you been writing your voice? On unrest and no rest you stood stages of speech In which weapon have you been fighting, struggling? Wrestling winning, my son was not reading on time It takes silence to read time, be on time, leading on time Silence I say, silence, grandfather Mandela is resting