"zuma" poems - Hello Poetry

She left Reno in a satin slip the color of hot coins pouring from slots, wearing chewed-up tennis shoes, mirrors multiplying her, the marquee burning out letter by letter, a hush pressed between her teeth as if saving the last note. I followed, a gangly shadow, mother’s voice in my ear: "life is not a freeway exit." But she was the exit. She drove west through a glittering throat. In Tonopah she was a waitress, red stains on her wrists, sleeves tugged low, coffee pouring thin as blood. In Barstow she was a sun-bleached Madonna, halo blistered, mouth lit in stained glass. At a gas station in Needles shimmering into a coyote’s shadow and slipped behind the pumps. Then movement along the fence, low, quick— gone again. Casinos blinked like electric relics. Truckers called her sugar, greedy hands counting her ribs as if she was the paycheck sweating in their fist, but she slipped away each time, her silhouette already moulting- a serpent skin, a smoke-trail, a saint’s shadow burning off the wall. By Malibu, the night had softened to velvet. The pier at Zuma leaned into the Pacific like a broken bridge. She sang to me— low, cracked— then let the slip fall. Her body cut into the dark tide, no disguise. I waded in after her, ankles bruised by rock. Water lit with jellyfish, each pulse a warning. I stopped where it deepened, felt the pull take hold. No exit left, just the Pacific’s mouth closing around her.

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Sep 1, 2025

Sep 1, 2025 at 8:08 PM UTC

William-A-Gibson

Dust Madonna

She left Reno in a satin slip the color of hot coins pouring from slots, wearing chewed-up tennis shoes, mirrors multiplying her, the marquee burning out letter by letter, a hush pressed between her teeth as if saving the last note. I followed, a gangly shadow, mother’s voice in my ear: "life is not a freeway exit." But she was the exit. She drove west through a glittering throat. In Tonopah she was a waitress, red stains on her wrists, sleeves tugged low, coffee pouring thin as blood. In Barstow she was a sun-bleached Madonna, halo blistered, mouth lit in stained glass. At a gas station in Needles shimmering into a coyote’s shadow and slipped behind the pumps. Then movement along the fence, low, quick— gone again. Casinos blinked like electric relics. Truckers called her sugar, greedy hands counting her ribs as if she was the paycheck sweating in their fist, but she slipped away each time, her silhouette already moulting- a serpent skin, a smoke-trail, a saint’s shadow burning off the wall. By Malibu, the night had softened to velvet. The pier at Zuma leaned into the Pacific like a broken bridge. She sang to me— low, cracked— then let the slip fall. Her body cut into the dark tide, no disguise. I waded in after her, ankles bruised by rock. Water lit with jellyfish, each pulse a warning. I stopped where it deepened, felt the pull take hold. No exit left, just the Pacific’s mouth closing around her.

57

Algeria a rich land poor people, Angola seems to have kings, Benin is blessed with voodoo, Botswana blood bulls diamonds, Burkina Faso can't cope coups, Burundi twelve years a slave, Cape Verde has half a million, Cameroon got cocoa, Chad's lake is shrinking, Comoros has under a million, DRC is third largest, Congo is it's neighbour with capitals facing, Côte d'Ivoire has few elephants, Djibouti's on the horn, Egypt has mummy's, Equatorial guinea struck oil in 95 but didn't loose change, Eritrea has 5000 running annually, Ethiopia's great rift is pretty ****** Gabon is subject to black gold, Gambia got a peace of it after 65, Great Ghana oasis of peace, Guinea is diverse, Bissau too, Kenyans have beautiful smiles, Lesotho is SA's baby, Liberia oldest republic, Libya needs liberty, Madagascar where are the penguins! Malawi has warm hearts, Mali is 8th, Mauritania is 11th, Mauritius marvel, Morocco fine leather, Mozambique keeps the dugongs, Namibia Windhoek ah, Niger after a river, Nigeria makes zuma rock, Rwanda listen, Sao tome and principe 2nd smallest, Senegoals, She sells Seychelles, Sierra Leone free? Somalia loose, S. Africa reign, South Sudan independent? Sudan - black, Swaziland more than solo men, Tanzania trade, Togo up down, Two knees yeah, Uganda teacher come simeon, Zambia's peace? Zimbabwe got rid of Mugabe. Always thought zed was co.za but we're actually co.zm, so what's zim? One way we'll loose change is when the overseers begin to acknowledge the under looked. -nyanta

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Feb 8, 2018

Feb 8, 2018 at 5:28 PM UTC

nyant

AFRICA

Algeria a rich land poor people, Angola seems to have kings, Benin is blessed with voodoo, Botswana blood bulls diamonds, Burkina Faso can't cope coups, Burundi twelve years a slave, Cape Verde has half a million, Cameroon got cocoa, Chad's lake is shrinking, Comoros has under a million, DRC is third largest, Congo is it's neighbour with capitals facing, Côte d'Ivoire has few elephants, Djibouti's on the horn, Egypt has mummy's, Equatorial guinea struck oil in 95 but didn't loose change, Eritrea has 5000 running annually, Ethiopia's great rift is pretty ****** Gabon is subject to black gold, Gambia got a peace of it after 65, Great Ghana oasis of peace, Guinea is diverse, Bissau too, Kenyans have beautiful smiles, Lesotho is SA's baby, Liberia oldest republic, Libya needs liberty, Madagascar where are the penguins! Malawi has warm hearts, Mali is 8th, Mauritania is 11th, Mauritius marvel, Morocco fine leather, Mozambique keeps the dugongs, Namibia Windhoek ah, Niger after a river, Nigeria makes zuma rock, Rwanda listen, Sao tome and principe 2nd smallest, Senegoals, She sells Seychelles, Sierra Leone free? Somalia loose, S. Africa reign, South Sudan independent? Sudan - black, Swaziland more than solo men, Tanzania trade, Togo up down, Two knees yeah, Uganda teacher come simeon, Zambia's peace? Zimbabwe got rid of Mugabe. Always thought zed was co.za but we're actually co.zm, so what's zim? One way we'll loose change is when the overseers begin to acknowledge the under looked. -nyanta

57

I'm No born free I tasted the dust of apartheid My mother was hiding behind the trees screaming for help No one was there No time to sleep We were cursed for struggle My father never smiled when my mother would say "the baby is kicking" Cause he knew,it wasn't the kick of joy It wasn't a sign of being a soccer star It was the struggle! 1990 Mandela was out of prison 1993 I was born 1994 the Dom's were free No more Dom-pass,but not uhuru still Innocent souls were lost What was the fighting worth for? I can forgive but never forget When De klert called black fools He said they do nothing but barking We turned to dogs now This is for Steve Biko Chris Hani Hector Paterson Raymond mhlaba Let not my skin define who I am Let not the earth describe me I know my future because of my history I was raised in a town of fallen angels Where blacks were deceived Whites felt free Turn the lights off we all the same colour Don't turn them on I want my son to know the history But to not repeat it. They say follow your leader How can you follow corruption? Zuma this zuma that Its all illusion I'll only follow u twitter I want you to retweet all the ish I'll be posting about you,the Raping,The Nkandla part,The Cheating,The Art and the bunch of wives Yes I voted,I still don't know why I voted Helen Zille only speaks xhosa in time of elections Jacob Zuma gives free taxis only to the voting station Julius Malema will bring apartheid back it is said on radio stations Mandela spent most time in hospital All of a sudden his dead Was he even in jail before? Oscar Pistorius ran to **** His now a criminal. Mandela note on my hand But valueless Our economy is dying Our world is dying My Dear South Africa..No Power!

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May 13, 2014

May 13, 2014 at 11:30 AM UTC

akhona

Not yet uhuru

I'm No born free I tasted the dust of apartheid My mother was hiding behind the trees screaming for help No one was there No time to sleep We were cursed for struggle My father never smiled when my mother would say "the baby is kicking" Cause he knew,it wasn't the kick of joy It wasn't a sign of being a soccer star It was the struggle! 1990 Mandela was out of prison 1993 I was born 1994 the Dom's were free No more Dom-pass,but not uhuru still Innocent souls were lost What was the fighting worth for? I can forgive but never forget When De klert called black fools He said they do nothing but barking We turned to dogs now This is for Steve Biko Chris Hani Hector Paterson Raymond mhlaba Let not my skin define who I am Let not the earth describe me I know my future because of my history I was raised in a town of fallen angels Where blacks were deceived Whites felt free Turn the lights off we all the same colour Don't turn them on I want my son to know the history But to not repeat it. They say follow your leader How can you follow corruption? Zuma this zuma that Its all illusion I'll only follow u twitter I want you to retweet all the ish I'll be posting about you,the Raping,The Nkandla part,The Cheating,The Art and the bunch of wives Yes I voted,I still don't know why I voted Helen Zille only speaks xhosa in time of elections Jacob Zuma gives free taxis only to the voting station Julius Malema will bring apartheid back it is said on radio stations Mandela spent most time in hospital All of a sudden his dead Was he even in jail before? Oscar Pistorius ran to **** His now a criminal. Mandela note on my hand But valueless Our economy is dying Our world is dying My Dear South Africa..No Power!

54

The world is aging It's years are increasing Goodbye 2016 The year filled with Doubts and bad choices How can Britain exit? How can America vote for trump? How can Zambia re-elect Lungu? Zuma and Rousseff are corrupt Ali,Castro and King Adulyadej are dead Is this not the Apocalypse of The downfall of humanity And good morals? In a few days this world Will be turning 2017 years old On the first everybody will celebrate But for the bad choices made No body knows What the year has for them That's why I entitled This poem untitled 2017.

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Dec 6, 2016

Dec 6, 2016 at 4:05 AM UTC

nexus-sammy

untitled 2017

The world is aging It's years are increasing Goodbye 2016 The year filled with Doubts and bad choices How can Britain exit? How can America vote for trump? How can Zambia re-elect Lungu? Zuma and Rousseff are corrupt Ali,Castro and King Adulyadej are dead Is this not the Apocalypse of The downfall of humanity And good morals? In a few days this world Will be turning 2017 years old On the first everybody will celebrate But for the bad choices made No body knows What the year has for them That's why I entitled This poem untitled 2017.

21

Last night we felt reckless So we drove down to Zuma Beach At 3 in the morning—the dead of night. Parked the car behind the lifeguard house Lying on a blanket in the chilling sand, We stared at the single star that hadn’t been Drowned out by near-by LA city lights. You folded your body around mine And protected me from the “cold” of a Mid-October night, the kind my so-cal bones Are so sensitive to. Your chest, your arms, warmed me to the core. There we fell asleep, under the guard of that single star. Years later, I woke up to the sun rise, With you stroking my arms like you always used to do. All of a sudden I woke up in my own bed, And you in yours 1,624 miles away. I felt an ache in my bones, like the kind From a Mid-October chilly night, And I hoped you felt it too.

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Oct 21, 2011

Oct 21, 2011 at 4:32 PM UTC

carrey-adele

Mid-October

Last night we felt reckless So we drove down to Zuma Beach At 3 in the morning—the dead of night. Parked the car behind the lifeguard house Lying on a blanket in the chilling sand, We stared at the single star that hadn’t been Drowned out by near-by LA city lights. You folded your body around mine And protected me from the “cold” of a Mid-October night, the kind my so-cal bones Are so sensitive to. Your chest, your arms, warmed me to the core. There we fell asleep, under the guard of that single star. Years later, I woke up to the sun rise, With you stroking my arms like you always used to do. All of a sudden I woke up in my own bed, And you in yours 1,624 miles away. I felt an ache in my bones, like the kind From a Mid-October chilly night, And I hoped you felt it too.

19

Boom Be heard! Why be silent? If you don't who will! We all have to! These corrupt leaches will bleed us,little by little society will be bled dry! Yes you the feeble worm that just leaches! Give us our country back! If you can't make your own rather be a *** on the beaches! Oh no they too are just leaches!!! Oh no! What to to do?!?!?! Here I sound like a preacher But exposure might not have an immediate affect! It may not show! But but we slowly can get rid of these corrupt elect! Make your voice boom Zuma down! An idiot we given to follow! With no skill And words only hollow! Oh what a clown! Speak out! Don't stop! We all deserve more Cry your beloved country hmmmm Yes cry out my beloved country!

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May 10, 2017

May 10, 2017 at 12:29 AM UTC

warren-johnson

Cry out my beloved country

Boom Be heard! Why be silent? If you don't who will! We all have to! These corrupt leaches will bleed us,little by little society will be bled dry! Yes you the feeble worm that just leaches! Give us our country back! If you can't make your own rather be a *** on the beaches! Oh no they too are just leaches!!! Oh no! What to to do?!?!?! Here I sound like a preacher But exposure might not have an immediate affect! It may not show! But but we slowly can get rid of these corrupt elect! Make your voice boom Zuma down! An idiot we given to follow! With no skill And words only hollow! Oh what a clown! Speak out! Don't stop! We all deserve more Cry your beloved country hmmmm Yes cry out my beloved country!

25

Ka mike an ce karkata Kai! taka an ce tatata Yaushe ne rana za ta? Gani na abokin ta wata Ba rana, sati har wata Tun da na hango yar wata Mata daga gefe na kai mata Hari dan na nuna bajinta ta Ai ko sai tayi mini raf ta ta Ta rike hannu na me kanta Sai ta ja ni cikin dangi na ta Tai ta nuni ga dangi nan na ta Baba yayi murna babu karkata Umma ta taka yar rawa ta ta Don murna har da kawa ta ta Maganar aure ce na yi mata Tun da fari ta dauke kai nata Ta bi son rai da kawaye nata Mai kudi shine a gaba nata Na manta har da batu na ta Rana daya sai ga kira na ta Gaisuwa ta Mahaifi na tayi Ra'ayi, sauyawa ta sa na yi Tausayi shine da yasa nayi Kan batun labarin da tayi Zuciya ta raurawa nan tayi Tausayawa zuciya ta nan tayi Na amshi batun ta kuma za'ayi Takure kai na duka ni nayi Do na nuna bajinta da ra'ayi Na kudurce aure ne zamu yi Yan uwa murna duka sun tayi Fatan alheri an ta yi Na ganin auren mu da za'ayi Gashi nan dai auren an yi Tun da fari fa zaki ne yayi Dandanon madara duka yayi Har Zuma da madi duka yayi Daga baya ta sauya ra'ayi Na shiga uku na kara uku Bana son na shige can kurkuku In na kara shiga uku sau uku

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Apr 9, 2022

Apr 9, 2022 at 6:28 PM UTC

Safana

Kai! Duniya ta

Ka mike an ce karkata Kai! taka an ce tatata Yaushe ne rana za ta? Gani na abokin ta wata Ba rana, sati har wata Tun da na hango yar wata Mata daga gefe na kai mata Hari dan na nuna bajinta ta Ai ko sai tayi mini raf ta ta Ta rike hannu na me kanta Sai ta ja ni cikin dangi na ta Tai ta nuni ga dangi nan na ta Baba yayi murna babu karkata Umma ta taka yar rawa ta ta Don murna har da kawa ta ta Maganar aure ce na yi mata Tun da fari ta dauke kai nata Ta bi son rai da kawaye nata Mai kudi shine a gaba nata Na manta har da batu na ta Rana daya sai ga kira na ta Gaisuwa ta Mahaifi na tayi Ra'ayi, sauyawa ta sa na yi Tausayi shine da yasa nayi Kan batun labarin da tayi Zuciya ta raurawa nan tayi Tausayawa zuciya ta nan tayi Na amshi batun ta kuma za'ayi Takure kai na duka ni nayi Do na nuna bajinta da ra'ayi Na kudurce aure ne zamu yi Yan uwa murna duka sun tayi Fatan alheri an ta yi Na ganin auren mu da za'ayi Gashi nan dai auren an yi Tun da fari fa zaki ne yayi Dandanon madara duka yayi Har Zuma da madi duka yayi Daga baya ta sauya ra'ayi Na shiga uku na kara uku Bana son na shige can kurkuku In na kara shiga uku sau uku

42

South Africa The rainbow paled in South Africa the end of apartheid has ended, freedom for all. Not quite, the poor in Soweto are getting poorer. The difference it now consists of white poor as well. The new leadership behave like the old one corruption and shade dealings. South Africa is practically a democratic one-party state. Or was democracy and equality brought on too early? It takes time. What is there to say when people riot and burn down the places where they buy their daily bread and have to walk for miles to buy milk for their children, other than an act of despair. Big business is doing well, thank you. But nothing has been done to alleviate the suffering of the poor. The rainbow state has lost its lustre. If you wonder why the poor ran amok was the jailing of Jacob Zuma Despite his failings, he has an African heart, which the new elite, dipped in white culture, failed to see. He is the chieftain dethroned and Africa bleeds.

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Jul 19, 2021

Jul 19, 2021 at 5:05 AM UTC

jan-oskar-hansen

South Africa

South Africa The rainbow paled in South Africa the end of apartheid has ended, freedom for all. Not quite, the poor in Soweto are getting poorer. The difference it now consists of white poor as well. The new leadership behave like the old one corruption and shade dealings. South Africa is practically a democratic one-party state. Or was democracy and equality brought on too early? It takes time. What is there to say when people riot and burn down the places where they buy their daily bread and have to walk for miles to buy milk for their children, other than an act of despair. Big business is doing well, thank you. But nothing has been done to alleviate the suffering of the poor. The rainbow state has lost its lustre. If you wonder why the poor ran amok was the jailing of Jacob Zuma Despite his failings, he has an African heart, which the new elite, dipped in white culture, failed to see. He is the chieftain dethroned and Africa bleeds.

20