My name is Zinhle Ndyike, and I’m from the Vaal Triangle, specifically in Meyerton/Highbury-Henley on Klip. I want to take a moment to share my story in the hope that it reaches those who have ever felt overlooked, belittled, or underestimated. I understand how isolating those feelings can be,…
I vividly recall the awe-inspiring wonder of my early years, when becoming an adult felt like the ultimate goal. I used to watch my parents, aunts, and uncles, convinced they had everything figured out, and I admired them with a mixture of reverence and envy. Life, however, had other…
“The world doesn’t revolve around you.” –
A phrase that clings
like stubborn gum to the back of my pants.
Its presence numbs, its toxicity stains,
leaving me to tremble in a futile struggle.
Fingers wearily try, way too hard, to peel it away,
but others notice the hue from afar,
under their unspoken radar.
I keep…
Imagine this… a wide, clear blue African sky above you with the horizon that disappears behind the green hills and mountains, in a village filled with old, interesting stories passed down through generations. This is where I come from. My roots are fixed deep in the red most fertile…
Life With Me
Why does life with me
Feel so hard?
Like a maid,
Like a slave,
Worst of all —
Like an orphan.
Everything I do
Feels heavy, cursed.
I’m treated like a trashed bin,
A donkey led astray —
No one hears my cries.
Death whispers daily:
This world isn’t for you.
But I cling to strength,
Though I feel useless.
I trust…