There are men who will teach you how to swallow yourself
And how to hide dead bodies under your bed.
When they leave,
You will have forgotten how to be soft,
and how to love yourself,
and how to not find yourself on the edge of a cliff.
Midnight, trying to not dig your own grave,
When you look into the mirror,
You will find your mother staring at you.
Asisipho Shaun Burwana is a 20-year-old South African male poet and storyteller. He is passionate about storytelling through poetry. He uses poetry as a healing mechanism, to address issues and to give birth to the burning words of Queer and Black people who are constantly silenced through patriarchy, homophobia, sexism, racism, and misogyny. His writing explores growing up Queer and Black, and non-conformist, in modern-day South Africa. In his writing, he is guided by the words of Nina Simone’s definition of an artist’s duty, which is to reflect the times. He reflects our times through poetry.
