Rainbow Nation

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South Africa has been called the Rainbow Nation, once Apartheid had fallen.

The Dop system was and is still used to pay farm laborours in part with cheap vine instead of money.

Dagga is the South African term for marijuana.

'One Day at a Time' is the motto and mantra of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

'It works, when you work it, so work it, you are worth it'.

In South Africa the 'classification' Black White Coloured and Indian has no derogatory connotation.

Black people call themselves black and so on...

Rainbow Nation

Blanca is white like beautiful snow in the Drakensberg Mountains
                      she snorted star powder past the perforated septum into her brain

Black as coal from the underworld mines in Mpumalanga Melanie
                        had her stomach pumped and purged while sleeping off darkness

Amber is coloured mixed race in the Rainbow of Nations her work
                      still paid in dop cheap vine that slaves her away in alcoholic trance

Arnav of Indian descent was hooked on dagga grown by the ocean
                 converted to heroin sold her frail body and skin for brown liquid sugar

Jacobus Bandele Lungelo and Bhavin shared needles and comfort
                 on the streets of Johannesburg flirted with disaster drug related crime
and their dealers cracked at the dawn longed for dust in the dusk

Drugs do not respect colour gender ability social class and religion
                 all druggies are equal with craving dependency not restricted to some

Now united in rehab like the state of the nation they all stood at the 
                  table of mountains with one foot in the grave at the cliff face of habit

One day at the moment they now battle their demons resist the temptation
         for only the time being from one morning away from the devious mourning
one drug line not taken one fall off the wagon shunned and avoided for now

They have all chased the dragon for far too long and imbibed with the devil
      for so many wretched days and nights of delusion torment addiction and pain

Again once more each day anew their only chance  to abstain one day at the time

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Jannie Breedt

Date: 4/12/2017 12:57:00 AM

Hi Kai, i am gobsmacked about the theme . Its really how broken we have become as a nation and how difficult.the healing process. Moving slightly away from abstract , you embraced this painful subject with such empathy. This is what I like. Its reality and you know what the hell is going on

Kai Michael Neumann
Date: 4/13/2017 7:32:00 AM

Thank you Jannie, we have to march and protest and how to avoid the BLF swinging their knobkerries...

Laura Leiser

Date: 3/16/2017 3:54:00 PM

What a powerful and achingly sad message you portray in your incredible, skillful poetry, Kai. This poem should be out there in the public eye as a precautionary warning of the devastation of illegal drug addiction. 7++

Kai Michael Neumann
Date: 3/17/2017 3:49:00 AM

Thank you Laura. I will send the poem to some addiction magazines. Drug addiction is a world wide phenomenon and it is very, very common in South Africa. Many wishes, Kai