Maakomele Manaka

THE SKY AND THE CITY

Listen to Audio Version read by Sean Mahoney.

The tall sky
walks past short buildings
listening to rooms filled
with weeping hands
Festivals of languages
dance all day and night
Rivers of train tracks
run beneath a bridge
that cannot bridge
the voice of water
to thirsty leaves
Aging bottles
of slender figures
sell dry orgasms
to wet poles

The sky looks on
from the city
that breathes
inside of a shoe
and knows
how the streets feel

The sky walks on
with a grey eye
and looks
at the oncoming traffic
of penis enlargement posters
Blue bodies
of steel dragons
raid silhouettes
of fingers trading heights
Concrete playgrounds
house brown songs
that are yet to grow
and live in this sound

Maakomele R. Manaka is a Soweto born poet from South Africa. He has two published collections of poetry that have been translated into Italian and German. He holds a Masters in Creative Writing. He has performed locally and abroad and is one of the most influential and energetic voices to emerge on South Africa's poetry scene.