Sikolwethu Mthethwa Poet Free verse

Alchemy pt.1: The Journey into The Void

It feels like I'm holding on 
Straws by the riverside , 
Still I'm holding on 

The mind is photographic 
The heart refuses to let go 
So the body remains....
A prisoner to experiences past;
 the body remains

How do I refrain 
From being a prisoner of my own mind ? 
They say it is a garden. 
So I search out in the world for a farmer who can teach me how to sow seeds of stillness and everlasting tranquility. 
I search in the brightness of day 
I search in the Shadow of night's blanket 
I search in the waters beneath 
I search in the sky above 
All to no avail , he cannot be found . 

It would be an illusion, a lie 
If I convinced myself that I have searched with the diligence of a mother lion who has lost a cub; 
For I know I have not searched earnestly.  

Into the void I have not gone . 
Into myself I have not gone to seek the seeds of stillness and everlasting tranquility. 
I fear that which I may find hidden in the confines of my soul will render me irredeemable. 

Me. ..
My own worst enemy 
So I run . 
To dwell in the heights of the sky
 I run 
Until I can fly. 
The blunt in my hand helping me escape..
Or used to.
A quieter mind I seek 
But what I inhale is loud 
So in me there is dissonance 

Still I hold on, until my nails scrape off my fingers 
Will I be a slave to my fears ,will I forever shelve away those experiences that disturbed my mind and closed off my heart? 
Surely my bloodline is not that of cowards 

So into the void I go
& let go of the straws of firmiliarity 
As I fall into the unknown, 
The Abyss .
I fall deep into myself
I leave the blunt In the sky for It may not come with me if my journey is to yield success. 

With a skip in one part of my heart 
Hope In the other 
I travel, 
alone; to search for the seeds of stillness and everlasting tranquility that reside deep inside me 
Locked away in my soul. 
I must bring them back to sow in the garden of my mind.

I pray I return , I pray I am restored to fullness.
A display of the splendor of my creator's greatness. 
The practice is meditation for presence. 
My final attempt at keeping my essence.

-Sikolwethu Mthethwa 
07/10/2026

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Alison A Smith October 8, 2026 at 5:09 AM The free-verse form gives this inward journey room to breathe, while the repeated “I search” and “I run” convey both longing and resistance. The shift from clinging to riverside straws to entering the void is especially moving—a passage from familiar pain toward the courage of self-discovery. The garden imagery carries a quiet hope through the poem’s raw vulnerability.

Sikolwethu Mthethwa October 8, 2026 at 1:52 AM This is My first offering in almost 6 years, I have changed a lot during that time.. I have become more reflective , turning my attention inwards, towards my motivations , my mind, my heart and the spiritual aspect of my existence..MY WHY..hopefully this new piece sparks some sort of question in your own mind that will lead you on your own path to reconnect with yourself.