I like to wander. Just take a walk. Talk to people. Sit down for a moment and hear how things are going for them. Sometimes this leads to a long and enduring friendship, other times it is just a fleeting moment of connection. This week I had two wander-moments. The one to meet the feisty tannies protecting their bridge like a squad of old fashioned knights. I am not a good driver but I can tell you if any of them shout at me to turn a truck aroud I would do it even if by sheer will alone. One of my other wander-moments has turned into a 15 year friendship with a force of nature called Julia Mbambo. Julia leads the community in Walmer Township. Tough as nails. Iron-willed. So when Julia phones and she is crying you know that it is bad. This week she phoned. “I am not allright,” she said. One of our soup kitchen children, there are more than 600 now, went to school, came back home and found his mom dead on the floor. There was nothing in that house. Not a bed, not a pilow not a cup. They had a single blanket. While we still don’t know how she died, what we do know is that his mommy, who was in the church choir, wrapped herself in their only blanket and lied down on the floor where she drew her last breath. It was here that he found her. There was no food in the house. My heart breaks for this little child who had to endure so much of the brutality of poverty - and a child grant that is so far under the povertyline. And I couldn’t help but wonder what will happen to him. But for now the tannies in his community have closed ranks around the little boy who only had a blanket. Today he was kitted out already in a new outfit. He had a teddy. And he is passed around from hug to hug. Strong arms all around him. I just wish his mommy found her tannies earlier…
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I love this, thanks for sharing @Estelle
Estelle, I was unfamiliar with your lyrical game. The rhythm and pacing control through syllables in this post is incredible (as is the article it references, btw). I think we should launch a poetry evening at The Gathering next year.
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@NicoleWilliamson can make it happen