Poem in your Pocket

Indie Feed

"Jabulani"
Evert Eden

I remember fixing the guest room
paris 74
but from the airport you went to a bathhouse
gone for 3 days your lucky whore
you could go to any city
do the nasty very pretty
with one stunning slut after another.
I
should have been the gay brother.
I remember jabulani, which means happiness
the guy you fell in love with.
zulu african.
batman and the joker had a better chance at romance
yet you found your jabulani, happiness happiness!
jabulani got sick.
in the hospital you got the full treatment
you,
you homo, you rat, you plague bearer!
jabulani may be dead in the morning
but
you can't hold his hand or kiss him,
cause you'll get kicked out
he'll get flak
cause you're a man, you're white
he's a man, he's black.

so you thought,"no more rubbers, skin against skin, one with him!"
two coffins in the same grave, with Jabulani, which means happiness.
but you took him home
to learn how a person goes homeless in their own skin
and might manage the vacancy notice of a smile.
two words: thank you.
two more: I'm scared.
then Jabulani's parent arrived from afar,
"Mkozi we've come to take him home to die."
Washing him for the long ride and smiling at you
even though on their side of color divide
they are just as tough on queers as we are.

the next day he passed away
you cried a lake in his father's arms
the home sweet bitter home coming
one white man
in a village black with grief.
they welcomed you with porridge and squashed together
you packed the last stones
and you left thinking "these are my real parents.
they showed me more understanding in 7 days
than my own folks in a lifetime of chaste communiqués."
and back in Johannesburg your heart torn out and stuffed back in full of razor blades.

one afternoon, Jabulani's younger brother jumped out of the blue
"Mkozi, my parents sent me to look after you."
and you knew then they were your parents
You'd found a grace beyond the 10 commandments
a force of family mightier than anything in the so called first fucking world!

now i snap a poem
but what can words do?
in this world of too many pieces and too little clue.

oh brother brother,
sweet little brother,
you walked the walk of another mans shoes,
now cry the blue of all the blues
for Jabulani , Jabulani,
which means happiness.

transcript from the audio indie feed performance poetry #356 3/14/08 - listen and fall in love!