van Mathews Phosa
(Excerpt from Deur die oog van 'n naald; Tafelberg, Cape Town, 1996)
Hoekom moet jy vrees
as jy niks het om te vrees nie?
Jou gewete is mos skoon,
moenie vrees nie.
Hoekom moet jy vrees
as jy niks het om te verloor nie?
Jy het mos niks nie,
moenie vrees nie.
Hoekom moet jeg vrees
as jy weeb jy's geen onderdrukker nie?
Jy het niemand onderdruk nie,
moenie vrees nie.
(Translation:
Why must you fear
if you have nothing to be afraid of?
You say your conscience is clean,
do not fear.
Why must you fear,
if you have nothing left to lose?
You say you have nothing,
do not fear.
Why must you fear
if you know that you are no oppressor?
You haven't oppressed anyone,
do not fear. )
Why I like this poem? It is a poem for wbiteness. For our need to justify and excuse. And yet how fragile and afraid we are. This has become particularly relevant as in recent days social media have indicated the white fear of becoming a minority in the US is a major driver of their current policies. I have long believed that deep in our hearts we know what we and our kind have been up to the world. A people who fear justice are afraid.
(Excerpt from Deur die oog van 'n naald; Tafelberg, Cape Town, 1996)
Hoekom moet jy vrees
as jy niks het om te vrees nie?
Jou gewete is mos skoon,
moenie vrees nie.
Hoekom moet jy vrees
as jy niks het om te verloor nie?
Jy het mos niks nie,
moenie vrees nie.
Hoekom moet jeg vrees
as jy weeb jy's geen onderdrukker nie?
Jy het niemand onderdruk nie,
moenie vrees nie.
(Translation:
Why must you fear
if you have nothing to be afraid of?
You say your conscience is clean,
do not fear.
Why must you fear,
if you have nothing left to lose?
You say you have nothing,
do not fear.
Why must you fear
if you know that you are no oppressor?
You haven't oppressed anyone,
do not fear. )
Why I like this poem? It is a poem for wbiteness. For our need to justify and excuse. And yet how fragile and afraid we are. This has become particularly relevant as in recent days social media have indicated the white fear of becoming a minority in the US is a major driver of their current policies. I have long believed that deep in our hearts we know what we and our kind have been up to the world. A people who fear justice are afraid.
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