This heart has pumped blood to my brain for 30 years
But this heart, got its love and life from your heart
So my tribute, my homage to you can only be my tears
And in silence, in solitude, your memory brings me comfort.

A gentle spirit: my man
Your boy: I saw the sun
Into your hands I'd run
You and I: one!

The laughter: the fun
The things you made me learn
Love: never to be undone
Man: proud to be your son!

Where you at, Dad? Where you at?
All I have is a tear in my eye
And a deep hole in my heart
I miss you. I can't wait to die.

Disfigured, consumed, denied
In which man can I this pain confide?
Your legacy is my pride
You were mighty when you died!

Those gentle evenings when the cool breeze embraced us
When jokes, dreams, and old stories were told en masse
When our laughter penetrated the darkness of night
When every moment was nothing but delight!

To sitting alone and wondering where you are
To the coldness of my blood despite my heart's fever
To your seat empty, and yet you ruled with might
To a dark sky: where the stars no longer come out at night!

Let this breath be taken away
Let this heart cease its beating
Enough of the daily fray -
Enough of the soul's fitting!

The hope that is not given
A heart that's sorrow stricken
Many veneers in this life
Disaster, sadness and strife!

The happy bird sings
Lovely tunes in harmony
Every new day to this man brings -
Missed marks and concentric agony!

The grass's overgrown where we used to meet
Dust-filled are those chairs on which we'd sit
No better voyage will ever be taken by my feet
Than when we meet again on a heavenly street!

Each man took the road that led to his home
Each man carried the things he called his own
Her heart broke when she recalled his name
But in her agony, none of her 'loved ones' came!

The tears: joyful tears they were
The endless stories and rib-cracking laughter
The cake, food, and drinks on every special day
The satiety, the tired, the headache thereafter!

The simple life: when you'd call my name from afar
A listening ear: when I'd tell you the things I prefer
Loving eyes: when you smiled endlessly at my sight
Warm hands: all the work you did to fill my life with light!

A woman unable to grieve her love
Her tears form an endless stream
They say, 'It's orders from above.'
'And Oh, how deeply we loved him.'

A son unable to see his mother
Lost he is in unfathomable thought
Strength for every new day he must gather
A divine light - this he has already sought.

A daughter unable to be consoled
Endless tears daily she weeps
Her emotions heretofore ne'er controlled
And deep inside, all the pain she keeps!

Your body in flames
Unable to call out our names
Slowly you gave up your breath
In agony, you met your death.

Your image disfigured
Consumed beyond recognition
Our estate beleaguered
Volatile things and their ignition.

Our eyes blinded by tears
Consolation and its lost appeal
The act confirmed our fears
The pain is deep - for real!

The image of your smile has been forever imprinted in my heart
And every moment lived with you comes readily to my mind
Your departure leaves me wondering where I'll start
For it's clear that no other man like you will I ever find!

Every letter I write stems from the depths of my heart
Your love infected me; so did your art
In life, no better friend have I had
But what's more, you were both friend and father, Dad!

When I held your hand as a young boy
When we trod about with so much joy
When I looked outta the window in your car
When we both looked at a shinning star

When we spoke on the phone from afar
When I sent you a song on WhatsApp
When we laughed and joked thereafter
When you found out I could rap

When you left us without warning
When we couldn't stop mourning
When we imagined you'd suddenly appear
When we really wanted you near!

The image of your smile will forever grace my mind
For no other love as yours will I ever find
In my heart, you'll always have first place
And in heaven, my greatest joy will be to see your face!

Your smooth hands nursed me
Your kind heart loved me
Your strong arms guarded me
Your bright mind thought of me

My heart deeply longs for you
My mind can't stop thinking of you
My eyes are dying to behold you
My arms can't wait to embrace you

You were taken away so swiftly
No last words, no last embrace
Why was the end wrought hastily?
Why didn't I atleast see your face?

Every picture deeply reminds me of you
My love for you has become as fresh as dew
Your demise gave my life an empty hue
But I long for the day He'll make all things new!

You left without a last embrace
Before I could see a last smile on your face
My heart bleeds; my eyes tear
Every moment, I long for you to be near.

This heart is restless till it rests in you
Till the day you make all things new
Till I see you face in divine light
Till I hold Dad so tight!

You seat at the right of the Father
I want your love and no other
Lead me kindly, supply thy grace
Till I join you in that heavenly place.

Dad: Sawubona!
Ngema: Yebo, Sawubona! Were you Zulu?
I don’t seem to remember you.
Dad (laughs): I’ve always loved the Zulu!
Ngema: My name is Mbongeni Ngema
Dad: Call me Jo! Your music is loved by my son, Emma
Ngema: Oh, I know your son, he has the blood of the Zulu!
He looks like the kind that hails from Kwa-Mashu.
Dad (laughs): He longed to meet you while on earth
Ngema: Hahaha! That boy was very close to my heart.
Dad: Would you say he knows your every song?
Ngema (laughs): Every day, he discovers a new song!
Dad: He really loved Thina bant’a bamnyama
Ngema: Hahaha. Let’s just call it my last gift to Emma!
Dad: I think he’d really be happy to meet and see you
Ngema: Oh yes! He might be here soon. Let’s ask uJesu.

Suffer me not, Lord, the loss of thee.
For on thy promise I firmly stand.
All men are sure to depart from me.
But in your heart, is my solace found!

Friends like you are truly heaven sent
For Oh what joy to my life you've lent
You are a treasure and so are these prizes
And so of you I'll dream - till the sun rises!

The anguish of her soul has not yet found an external manifestation.
For every vapour in her eyes swears to forego its condensation.
The heaviness in her chest is more than the weight of many a lost love.
And her pain is like that of a heart cut into half.

Dark and dull is her every day,
For fear and disorder crown her daily fray.
She dreads the approach of every night,
When her closed eyes shut out all the light.
In her mind, the horrific scenes are replayed,
And the memories of that night leave her utterly dismayed.

An excess of rage penetrates her every part,
And the agony in her soul is as deep as the wound in her heart.
The fury within her seeks a more becoming outlet,
But all art and nature's provisions are shy before the debt,
The green fields beckon her with a promise of hope.
But even these in their emptiness tempt her to stop.

The anguish of her soul has not yet found an external manifestation
For every vapour in her eyes swears to forego its condensation
The heaviness in her chest is more than the weight of many a lost love
And her pain is like that of a heart cut in to half.

Where shall this broken heart go, to whom shall it weep?
Who shall all these sorrows treasure and keep?
Only cry beloved heart, cry till every loved one hears
Cry beloved heart: even though you cry without tears!

A simple life we lived till that day
We'd walk, smile, and 'be' as we would
Those barriers were broken by a mysterious fray
Our life's now out there e'en though we daily nurse the wound!

Before such pain, we are numb
Every single imagination leaves us dumb
We are shorn of emotion even if we try
For the tears dry before we begin to cry

A home was built, tended, but is now forsaken.
A man was born, loved, but was swiftly taken.
Our hearts were calm, bruised, but are now broken.
Our hopes were frail, lost, but the eternal word was spoken!

All our heroes are now dead
The blood on their skins is freshly red
We have wept and now ably comply
For our wells of tears are empty and dry!

This heart will always be your home
For you are well-rested but not gone
Your eternal sceptre still stands here
And my everlasting tribute will be a tear!

She is the perfect light that has illumined this path
The sacred beauty that has trodden this earth
All the ancients and presents have pointed to her
For in every dark sky, she's the only star!

The wind did pause when she mentioned her name
And the sun in haste increased its light
My dark complexion was all of a sudden bright
And every moment thereafter was ne'er the same!

She is the sole star in her galaxy
Her walk is akin to that of the diety
Her radiant beauty that all men see,
Is the power by which mortal men are set free!

The light in her eyes shines but so bright
And her smile is as great as is her might
Every word she speaks, moves the spirit within me
And her presence by me, gives colour to the world I see.

The poison in their lips made them run mad
Then one by one, they all dropped to the ground
Their brains like slime oozed out of their heads
But their sorrow was better than the words they'd said!

Let the blood gently ooze
Let me this life slowly snooze
What new hope does the morrow bring
When dirges about me they sing!

His head couldn't contain the misery it had conceived
And his heart burst from the pressure of his woes
No more tears were to be shed - for he'd been happily grieved
And lost already was the fragrance of those roses at his toes!

You were the Phoenix of that great nation
You died that it may rise
The idea of freedom was your creation
And thus it lives e'en after your demise!

Their sorrows were halved when they cried
And daily, the strength of their empty hearts was tried
The dirge took them gracefully to another place
And every image of their death, they were quick to embrace!

The purple curtain closed when he bowed his head to the crowd
And the last tear coursed lazily upon his cheek
His sorrows were - as the applause of the crowd - loud
And so was the blood that from his heart was soon to leak

Every night was, but a weeping rehearsal
A preparation for the wailing of doomsday
The deepest tears heard the call of his soul
And every stream flowed as if only to obey

His daily pain was only as deep as his soul
Hidden as it were from the palpation of all
And though his face often portrayed a joy
The misery like a cancer was certain to destroy!

The cold blood flowed from his heart drop by drop
And every face about was a reminder of the dagger it bore
In his dark moments his slender hands would aimlessly *****
But the dearth of support hurt him deeper to the core

I wander when I sleep
And because this world of mine is so deep
I dream of strange things when I sleep
Numerous cliffs where slopes are so steep

They carry his corpse to be buried
The ceremony has been technically hurried
On their lips and faces they seem to mourn
But deep in their hearts is scorn!

In my world, all angels are heaven-sent!
Every moment with her fills me with amazement
Her eyes glitter like the midnight moon,
And her speech has the sound of my favorite tune.

Her embrace parts the waters of my misery
And her smile is the symbol of her verity
Her face is the treasure I carry in my mind
For a love as hers is truly a rare find!

Her heart drowned in the river of her tears
Her bones were broken by the weight of her fears
Forlorn she is by all her peers
And her fate is the type that's dreaded by seers

The dust coated the dreams of those men
And all their worthy cries, the winds would deafen
The rain washed away their manly tears
And the trenches were the perfect harbor for their fears

the desert sands must first grow cold
all the tales of ancient man must be told
the sun's rays must return to their source
and tears from all men's eyes must course

Goodbye
Goodbye, I say again
Tell me when (if) you'll come back
And the rain? tell me of that rain
Is it the reason you smile
or rather do you hide some guile
Do you still smoke in the cold
Do you even think of me as you told
Will you take my heart, too
And sell it for a penny or two!
Will you love as lovers do
or will you say we ain't meant to
I'm freezing and you are the ice
Keep me frozen, how sweet and nice!