Bound To The Street

This poem was written by Robson Isaac Shoes Lambada. It has been recited at the House of Hunger poetry slam, Zimbabwe Poets for Human Rights poetry forum, Harare International Festival of the Arts, Regional Youth Hearing in South Africa, The Info-Activism Camp in India and The Africa Cultural Night in Senegal.

Ragged and funny
In dire need of money
I bruise the pot-holed streets of the city
Maiming the waste-filled alleys and dirty
Daily I play twinkle-twinkle with death on the razor-sharp edge of humanity.
Once I had a home
Now I cannot pay the dues
Once Iwent to college
Now I cannot pay the fees
Once I had a wife
Now I cannot afford the price
Poor the result of no economic emancipation
Bound to the street because some people's creation
In a vacuum-filled belly I try the robber's invention
Oouch! I cry in incaceration
This cry , my cry, I cry
Bound to the street, is it God's case
Bound to the street, the street my place
Bound to the street, the street I hate

Eyes closed, tears drop
The drama of my sleeping mystery unfolding before my mental eyes like a tapestry
I ravish and languish in hunger
Feediong on left-overs
Left by generous shoppers
Hungry I was, am and still will be
The history but of the hiterto societies is a history of class struggle
and exploitation. How shall I leave the street struggle
In such a society tailor-designed to suffer the helpless
Where the should-be-helpers
Are the pioneers of the exploitation,
Suppression and oppression of the defenceless
As for me and my street-mates
We will travel along singing a song
The song, my cry.
Bound to the street, is it God's case
Bound to the street, the street my place
Bound to the street, the street I hate

I come from far further
Iam not a bird of your further
You are a son to your father
You are your mother,s daughter
I have non to call father or mother
Nither to call sister nor brother
But pay no attention to criticism like weather
Rather lets read the holy book together
Ang gather as a congregation together
The bread as you gather
Lets break share and eat together.
Until we harness a new philosophy
I will always cry
This cry my cry.
Bound to the street, is it God's case
Bound to the street, the street my place
Bound to the street, the street I hate