pink jersey : traditional pirouette


[Poet’s Note : this is a wry autobiographical memory written in traditional pirouette verse viz. 2 quintains, line 5 & 6 repeat, which is the toe turnaround. I wanted to write a narrative of a weird syncopated vignette, when I was knitting a pink mohair jersey at the time of my imprisonment. I reduced the narrative to a pirouette. When in prison, one of my interrogators was knitting the EXACT jersey in the exact colour & exact wool ! ie. in the final analysis, (in retrospect) everything in human life can be reduced to a pirouette, a turn-around dance ! ]

knitting a pink jersey
mohair with cables fine
to process flying thoughts
political activist 
south africa turmoiled

south africa turmoiled
security police
came with casspirs and cuffs
interrogation chamber
police knit jersey pink

         ~~~~~~~~~



Copyright © | Year Posted 2025

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Richards Avatar
September 12, 2025 at 1:02 AM
What power few lines hold. A true veteran. I salute you.
Hind Avatar
September 11, 2025 at 5:33 PM
God, what power this has because of what you went through. Beautiful.
Daniels Avatar
September 11, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Merci ! Part of the journey, PH. We make these choices before we land here. Beautiful day to you. x.
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