AROUND THIS TIME... ...KRISMAS TIME

Around this time, I remember those days…

…the days we used to receive christmas cards ka-poso

The days we exchanged brief letters

Those days we crowded Jozi stores for Christmas clothes

The days we played longer outside the yard

The days that seized fights we had at our avenues

Around this time, I remember those days…

…the days we spent the whole day on sport

Erased all hurt and hatred we got from neighbours & families

The days we appreciated each other

The days we believed what adults told us with no questions asked

The days of pinki-pinki and the stories zama-Zet

Around this time, I remember those days…

…the days we longed to buy a pair of shoes

The days we queued with faces full of Vaseline to watch a movie e-next door

The days paid no attention to the rand exchange

I remember those days.

The days we knocked at each door asking for Christmas

receiving a colourful plate of food and i-custard ne jelly

the days we didn’t call parents by names, man were abobaba

the days we got nothing for being sent to shops

Around this time, I remember those days…

…we knew that to have chicken for supper, you had to chase it & catch it

The days we left our house keys e-next door

the days we looked forward to seeing our fathers, brothers and uncles from Jozi,

coming nama-swidi

Around this time, I remember those days…

…the days we lived as a village and we all loved it

I remember those days we embraced being Afrikans

The days we laughed and shared love with strangers

I remember those Christmas days we lived life.

Around this time, I remember it is time we remember to be human

It is time we remember we blessed

It is time we remember to bless

It is time we remember to be a blessing

Around this time I remembered you.

                                                                                                 Written by Solomon Khaya Gebashe