The JRB presents an excerpt from Ilifa, Athambile Masola’s new isiXhosa collection of poetry.
![](https://johannesburgreviewofbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ilifa-athambile-masola-196x300.jpg)
Ilifa
Athambile Masola
uHlanga Press, 2021
Isifebe
NgeCawa ucula uSiyakudumisa.
NgoMvulo uyaphangela.
NgoLwesibini usentlanganisweni yesikolo sabantwana.
NgoLwesithathu ubukela uMzansi Magic.
NgoLwesine uya emanyanweni.
NgoLwesihlanu yi-nice-time negals.
NgomGqibelo udibana noTemba;
Okanye uXolani,
Okanye uSam.
Ok’salayo ufumana le nto ayifunayo.
NgeCawa ucula uSiyakudumisa.
Izaziso
Isaziso sokuqala: imilozi yabafana
Isikhumbuzo: umzimba wakho ndingawuthatha nanini na
Isaziso sesibini: amehlo abomvu exhego
Isikhumbuzo: ndiyakukhulula ndikufuna uhamba ze
Isaziso sesithathu: izandla zikanoteksi emathangeni
Isikhumbuzo: la mathanga ngawam lo mzuzu ukhwele ngaphambili.
Isaziso sesine: ikhwelo lo mfana erenkini
Isikhumbuzo: ‘Ngas’ke undifake kulo mathanga baby’
Isaziso sesihlanu: isimemo somfundisi
Isikhumbuzo: ‘Sondela ndiphuze kaloku’
Isaziso sesithandathu: intlanganiso namadoda
Isikhumbuzo: ‘Uthini wena ntomb’encinci?’
Isaziso sesixhenxe: imissed calls ezilithoba ezisuka kwidean ethanda abantwana
Isikhumbuzo: ndiyakufuna
Ezi zaziso zigunyaziswa ngamakhwenkwe, abafana, amadoda namaxhego esiwaziyo nabo singabaziyo
Isikhumbuzo: All men.
Iintombi ezilala emini
Kukho iintombi ezingqengqa emini
Ziyolelwa kukuphunga ubuthongo zizolile.
Azingxami.
Ezi zintombi ezingavuki neentaka
Zivuka xa kuvuma umzimba.
Ziyazimamela.
- Athambile Masola, descended from amaGcina and amaBhele, grew up in East London. A Mandela Rhodes Scholar, Masola researches the literary careers of historically ignored black women writers. She is the founder of Asinakuthula Collective, as well as a lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Cape Town. Her work has been published widely in journals, newspapers, and online. This is her first collection of poems.