Let me go,
away from here.
I’m sick for the sea
for grey water made to foam
on shore, for gulls, and
whales calving, the stink
of harbours, a fisherman’s false cry.
Let me go,
homeward
to the mountain’s grip,
the accent of fynbos, of
vineyards verdant-bright
gathered on the slopes. I need
the crush of grapes and earth,
the comfort of a view.
Let me go, please,
let me return
to the places of my birth, to my
childhood, and more.
The streets in which I lived and
the gardens where they’re scattered, all
my family but me.
Where they’ve mingled inexactly, taken up
by foliage in various degrees,
those straggling whispers pruned
to silence by my absence,
by my failure to come home.
Karen Jennings is a 35-year-old South African author. She holds Masters degrees in both English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town, and a PhD in English Literature from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her debut novel, Finding Soutbek, was shortlisted for the inaugural Etisalat Prize for African Fiction. In 2014 her short story collection, Away from the Dead, was longlisted for the Frank O’Connor International short story competition. Her memoir, Travels with my Father, was published in 2016, and this year her poetry collection, Space Inhabited by Echoes, will be launched. Karen is working on post-doctoral research at the Federal University of Goiania, Brazil.