Akira was a young girl who grew up in a poor neighborhood. Her childhood was marked by violence, abuse, and neglect. Her parents were addicted to drugs, often engaging in violent fights.
Akira recalled the sound of her parents’ screams, the smell of smoke and alcohol, and the overwhelming feeling…
Sometimes I wonder why it always has to be me,
The one who is left behind,
The odd one out,
The one making jokes that nobody laughs at,
Never anyone’s cup of tea.
I mean, you wouldn’t understand,
Since my face hides it so well.
You won’t see what’s behind this beautiful smile,
Or beneath this extroverted…
Why does it seem,
like nothing will work out?
It feels like,
all hope is lost.
Why do I feel,
indecisive?
I struggle to do things,
that make me happy.
It seems like,
I haven’t found my personality yet.
No matter how hard,
I try to trust God,
I feel like giving up.
I struggle,
to trust God consistently.
I feel like,
I can never…
Curled up on the floor,
At the corner of my room feeling sour.
Few nights I cried myself to sleep,
Yesterday was day four.
Cascade of emotions and thoughts,
Nostalgia and regret taking the fore.
What should I have done differently?
For this, I have fought with my thoughts.
I’m so angry – sad and angry at…
“Words unsaid, scenes unfold, secrets untold, in his eyes we behold”.
Partner in crime, you made me.
What a beautiful way to frame it.
With me on the cover page,
In a newspaper? In this time and age?
What use is information written on paper?
Till you went on and made it public!
Now the streets…
I finally realized that I poisoned myself with hatred,
Because I hated everyone and everything I set my eyes on.
Hatred took my dignity,
It took away the beauty within me
And it all cost me my life.
Because of hatred,
I ran away from reality,
I couldn’t face it anymore.
Hatred penetrated my heart with its…
Butterfly
Beautiful like a ray of sunshine
Wings that can flap for hours
Our life as butterfly cowers
We hold our heads up high like a tower
To reach the height of a butterfly
Just like a butterfly, we can transform
The transformation is slow and delicate
But when we change it is a resplendent glory
Our life…
My name is Mathapelo Atoro and I am from a very small town named Gibing, near Wepener, in the Free State province. I was raised by my single mother, alongside my late grandparents. My mother worked as a domestic worker to provide for us. I have a younger brother…