‘With the voice I have, my words shall be heard.’
These are some of the words in a poem written by a young poet who is dreaming of having his words heard by all of South Africa.
Thabang Moeng (23) is from a small village in Taung called Khudutlou. Last year, he moved to Potchefstroom to stay with his sister while working at McDonald’s and writing poetry in his free time. He has already written 119 poems throughout his life. He started at the age of 11. ‘My journey began after I moved from Khudutlou, where I was treated badly, to the village of Molelema.’
New to this community, he attended a spoken poetry event in the community hall and gradually developed an interest in poetry. ‘I listened to them going on and on and I asked myself, ‘what are these people all about?’ Then, one day, I heard my uncle reciting a poem about the struggle and when I listened to it, it really touched me and I imagined myself reciting the same poem.’
He then started meeting with a teacher in Molelema who is also a poet. ‘All his students called him master,’ he said. ‘He gave me a poem to recite and it took me three days to learn it off by heart. I enjoyed it so much that, one day, I just woke up and started writing something down. I wrote and wrote and then I just left it there. Later on, I came back and took a second look at this untitled poem. When I read it through, I understood what it meant and I titled it: “Crime I committed”.’ This poem – the first he had ever written – was about falling in love.
Thabang gets his inspiration from everywhere. When he is sad or happy, he normally writes down his feelings.
Sometimes, he is inspired by something that is happening in the community or in the country and then he writes a poem about it. ‘I wrote a poem about Mr Nelson Mandela and the passing of Mr Joe Mafela, who also inspired me.’
‘I think most of my inspiration comes from where I come from and what is going on and how it affects me and the people around me.’
While each of his poems has a meaning, he says the meaning sometimes depends on the audience and not on the poet.
‘I have learnt that when you recite a poem to an audience, they must be the ones who give meaning to the poem. If I have to tell them what the poem is about, it won’t be a poem – it will be a speech.’
Thabang’s dream is to publish an anthology of his poetry but needs funding to make this possible. For more information on how to help him, contact him at 078 366 6210.
Here is some of his poetry:
Crime I Committed
You know the only way
I wouldn’t ill to expresss my self
Is by that a writing and you
will become my inspiration
Every time I wrote so you are my greater
affection
When I look at the picture I see your innocent smile
The smile that makes my heart rising
In my sleepless night when I dream
I dream about you and the question is
why why-why
Yes consider me as a criminal
A criminal of love
For I committed a crime
A crime of passion
In other poems
I talk about your lips
your eyebrows
That shelter me from pain
I And He a Man
I am the master of my fate
Capital of my soul therefore
I shall live to the fullest
With hope I have, I shall conquer
many alive
With the voice, I have my words
shall be heard
Once upon time
Lived a man
A man who was intelligent
A man who was wise
A dreamer who never gave up
He the inspiration by all nation
He choose to forgive and rebuild a nation
Those who have obressed him
Those who have inprisoned him
He a slave
He a kavuur
He a first black president
He forgave them
Negilegent was never his idea
Descrimination he elimenited
Races he combined
Rainbow nation he left behind
He man shall be forever remembered
His name shall be forever celebrated
His his his his my inspiration
I Once Knew a Boy
A boy with less respect
A boy so little mature
Nature he admires
Words he spit are so rotten
His tongue filled with lies
Honesty his curse
Purpose he has not
His world so dark
so intense
so complicated
so unlearnable
His heart filled with hatred
Every day is a painful day
Sometimes he wonders mom
Mom, mom where a you
He feels rejection
He desires perfection
Final love finds him
Light unmount darkness
Courage begins to grow
Potential he begins to see
Limits became no limits
The boy becomes a man
I AM THAT BOY
I Shouldn’t Have
Those pills
I couldn’t resist them
My well was despair
My thoughtful end
I couldn’t reach
I swallowed them
Water drove them
I could feel them
Passing through my lungs
Tears pouring down my eyes
A few hours later
I vomited milk was strong
I ask my self why, why, why
I am awake
I am breathing
Why why, why, why
I cried and hear my voice
Senseless sad lost
Loneliness of my heart
My mind so empty
Looking above the stars
I wonder and wonder
Why I am not there yet
I shouldn’t have now I say
Now I enjoy this planet of ours
I am grateful now I appreciate
I shouldn’t have now I say
What Matters Most
Life is all about love
Learn to love unselfishly
God wants us to love everyone
When life on earth is ending
We want around people we love
people we have relationships with
When we transfer into eternity
We leave everything else behind
What matters most
Faith expressing itself through love
Waking up kneeling and praying
each and every morning
Wanting to spend time loving you
Wanting to spend time loving others
Life is about loving
The more time you give
The more reveal it’s importance
it’s value to you
Time is our most precious gift
We only have less amount of it
You can make more money but
you cannot make more time
When you give someone your time
you are sacrificing
You are giving the greatest gift ever
Your time is your life
Invest time wisely
Words alone are worthless
Men often say
I don’t understand my wife and kids
I provide everything they need
What more could they want?
They want you!
your eyes
Your ears
Your time
Your attention
Your presence
Your focus
Your time
Nothing can place that
Love concentrates intently
Love is not diamond
Love is not rose
Love is not chocolate
Love is focused attention
Attention says
I value you enough
to give you my precious time
Be full of love for others
You can give without loving but you
cannot love without giving
Love means giving up
The benefits of someone else
The comfort and goals
The security and time
