Phumlani Mthethwa | + Follow Poet |
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Conversation Forever

Our voices linger on this line desperate to stay together
Sending requests to our nervous systems for any information we can gather
We hold relationships accountable for not practising this method
They tap our line hoping to record our feelings, we have mastered that method
They can't find time to analyse the hours of recordings produced by that 
particular method
We never say "goodbye", our voices share a conversation long after we doze 
off
Lights off, television off, the words exchanged light up everything else
Oprah has been looking for us for a while, maybe she should pursue 
something else
Purely constructed from above, no men can tamper with
Our line is the only visible line in their radar, they can't stand it
We watch our words like parents looking on as their son fades away to the 
college residence
In our relationship we are permanent residents
She has a door locked, "Isivumelwano sakhe" (Pyjamas) on, 
Although sleep and exhaustion are locked outside, their entrance is somehow 
inevitable but we are reluctant to look outside, so we carry on
Her voice sets off feelings that I can't describe to save my life
She knows exactly what she needs, she needs me in her life
"Yah neh", that phrase takes a huge part of our conversation
It is so simple but it holds a lot of words unsaid

If I hold the line long enough, she's right next to me
We know how to say "I love you" without actually saying the words
If I hold the line long enough, I see her making coffee and then making her 
way right next to me
We know how to say "I long for you" without putting it into words

We both wake up in the middle of the night with phones on our ears
We have a look at the door only to realise that sleep and exhaustion have 
made their way through.

Copyright © Phumlani Mthethwa | Year Posted 2014

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Sara Kendrick Date: 8/13/2014 7:43:00 AM Long distance love affairs play on the body's strength..Very expressive and descriptive work that you have penned..Enjoyed reading this one today..Thanks for the visit to my page..Sara Login to Reply Phumlani Mthethwa Date: 8/13/2014 8:04:00 AM Thank you. It is so amazing how words connect people all over the world. They have the power to install love in the world but at the same time promote hatred. It is up to us to control what we say to each other. Thank you for your comment

Cherl Dunn Date: 6/30/2014 7:13:00 PM Nicely done, and thank you for your comments on The Fourth of July, by the way have a great celebration yourself. cheri Login to Reply Phumlani Mthethwa Date: 7/1/2014 3:20:00 AM Thank you and it is my pleasure. In South Africa we celebrated 16th of June a couple of weeks ago, it is called "Youth Day" dedicated to the youth that sacrificed their lives back in 1976 when apartheid was raw, they gave us a chance to freedom and freedom to become whatever you like.