You came in my life
like an oasis in a lonely desert,
Simple but charming you seemed
in that white T-shirt.

With a plain expression
I asked your name,
"Friendship, they call me,"
you replied to the same.

And well, we spent
most of our time together.
Chatting, laughing, playing,
irrespective of weather.

But then, I met a haughty
and loud girl named Pride.
On being with her,
my feelings for you died.

And now that you have
left me all alone,
All I do is gasp,
grumble and groan.

First Time Around

First day I got around
I took a look around
Sight was marvelled
But also terrified
By this site

My feet wandered
I didn't find my place
Poets so established
Poets published
I was frightened
I didn't have the gut
I knew I was no poet

All I had were a few pieces
Of expressions
I took chances
I was humbled
By the love
By the support

From there I knew
Here was home
I just needed to be me
Transform all the pressure into respect
While I transformed the thoughts into words

For now I know this
I don't have to fuss over rhyme
The words don't need the rhythm
I don't have to lie across the bonnet
To come up with fiction in a sonnet
Is it just me or I'm not alone
To often misread He'Po
As Hippo?
Haha!

Mongi C. Nkabindze

Love Everlasting

Have we not witnessed
How the midnight scary dark skies
Are lit up so carefully and timely
By a million humble, and yet enthusiastic, blazing stars
As we lay attentively beneath,
Swimming in our uniquely assigned portions of life
They smile, they shine upon us
Too brightly and yet so naturally gently
Haven't we witnessed?

Have we not noticed
How after the heartless destructive storm
A rainbow of multiple colors
Has laid itself so perfectly in position
Across the tired and idle blue eastern skies
As we stare from below, hopefully
Hoping zealously for a better tomorrow
She stretches, she beautifies effortlessly
And yet our hearts so sore and heavy from the storm
Our faces still light up with wide smiles
Haven't we noticed?

Now can one deliberately deny
The strong indisputable power that lies
Way up above what sight can tangibly comprehend
So much light, too much truth
So much evidence, so much reason
To trust, to believe undoubtedly
And mightily
To the mighty
Love everlasting

Mongi C. Nkabindze

I saw you yesterday
Smiling from ear to ear
You were so happy
Because you were with her.

My tears cascaded from my face
The hue of my eyes lost its vibrance
All because you;
You were happy with her.
You are happy. You are.

I wasn't your happiness
I finally realized that
The moment I saw you
Pierced my heart like a million solid dust.

The outdated young lady confronted me with disgraceful taste of words
She spit slithering words as if they're to choke me to death
Her whispers were evil to them
As she throws dagger curses on me

Her burning eyes full of rage and dismay
Made me laugh till my eyes shed tears
She was cruel, and so I was
But she hasn't moved on, while I already did.

Her boyfriend who was once mine was claimed by another woman
It was funny to be caught in a four-people relationship
The guy was obscenely ugly
Yet his eyes, his tantalizing eyes were claiming our souls.

The third party, or the fourth party
Slithered her way to my system
While making me dysfunctional,
She armed herself with stupidity.
So she lost the lousy game of jealousy.

My Love Who Got Away

My love
Ye who went away
When the scorching summer heat descended
And the freezing winter snow crept in
All, with one accord

When uncertainty struck
Between love and hate
Smiling and frowning
Staying and leaving
Committing and being free
Laughing, but never crying
Between happiness and unhappiness
Between the heat and the chill
All at the same time

Now that's all you showed on the surface
When in your heart of hearts
The honest uncertainty there was to feel
Was between leaving and sailing away
What a caring and loving predicament
It was not that much of a choice life gave you
Now, was it?

You pushed me so hard and urgently, away
You longed to hear the words come from me
That I was leaving and was grateful for everything
So you could be left with a clear conscience
With the pretence I was the one who wanted to leave

Oh don't you think I recognized
How soon you always wanted to get rid of me
When you always handed the on/off switch to me
How often you'd hit me with the classic speech,
"It's not you, it's me"
Then you blatantly said
"If it costs you your peace
Then it's too expensive"
But I was all yours you didn't have to buy
And I was the cheapest you would find on the land
That's why, maybe, you pushed me out
Who wants cheap stuff these days anyway?

But your love is your love,
You choose who you want to seize it away from
And who you can't wait to give it to next
We called it quits, it was a win for you
Apparently I was the stubborn cloud
That laid between you and your sunshine

And it's not I was too proud to beg
The whole ordeal left me unsure if I'd be heard
Unsure that if I came around once more
You wouldn't throw me to shame
Still we couldn't make it through thick
Oh ye, my beloved
Ye who went away

Mongi C. Nkabindze