Curfew

The sun set, the siren wailed Furtively the Black moved, fearing to be jailed For being without a pass after dark In Johannesburg’s Joubert Park A torch flashed in his face Quickly establishing his race. Too late to run He was spun around And pushed against a wall By a big tall policeman. Please Baas. Don’t call the van I could be out of town quickly, if I ran. Suddenly a push and a kick “Run quick.” Twenty years on Apartheid’s gone The policeman is now a civilian Working in town. The sun is setting slowly down In a ball of crimson red. Bringing dread He must leave town quickly Or he’ll be dead With a knife in his back Or a Kerrie on his head. The City’s not safe after dark For he has a Pass, printed by God Embedded in his Page of Life The DNA of being white. In Joubert Park A torch flashed in his face Quickly establishing his race. Too late to run He was spun around And pushed against the wall By a big tall Black. Please don’t kill me I was the Policeman that let you go free Suddenly a push and a kick “Bugger off quick.”