- Thabiso Nkoana
A Dark Colored Place
Do you know the face of poverty?
Sitting beside you on the last train to Pretoria?
In clean white All Stars and faded blue spotty.
Her black bra riding high on her back
with nipple almost showing
not to entice
but ready to suckle poverty junior
Who refuses to be still
agitating the mind of poverty
alongside suffocating daymares
and recurring nightdreams
The face of poverty is dark
thick round lips
sharp flat nose
Eyes with long natural lashes
glisten through a mist of weariness
Nail for facial scrub
no consumer line for side effects
only blackened signs
of blackhead defects
Structure firm
athletic in another life
which led to poverty junior
a wild jaguar to be tamed
Now she travels alone
on night time trains
shushing her youth
at every commuter swop shop
shielded from the nippy draft
by a once blue towel
now just a well travelled cloth
Poverty carries a sun coloured bag
with flower shine prints.
Poverty wears shiny loop earrings
To match junior’s blingy studs.
Poverty dresses her youth
in a Bratz pack hoodie
& matching blue jeans.
Poverty’s summertime bag
looks complete with supplies
Do you know the face of poverty
sitting beside you on the last train
to Pretoria?
Was it left at Park Station
during its lateness in life
asking for a coin to ride
the last train to safety?
Poverty has no GSM connection
nor bi coloured coin for crisps
Poverty cannot hide
nor does it lie
Yet, it must die.