Cato Manor
by Olivia Santarsiero
Cato Manor homes
speckle the lush,
green mountainside
An iridescent mosaic
whose colorful people and
vibrant voices
paint
the tile pieces.
Light bounces
off aluminum roofs.
Kindness bounces
in each smile,
nod,
wave,
laugh.
Standing alone they seem broken,
not whole,
out of place.
But together they create
a community so intricate and diverse,
it is art
worth paying for.
Adding value to the green landscape.
Standing up high
you can see stories,
lives
struggles
love.
One would be a fool to pity them.
I’ll never forget
the sparkling mosaic
of Cato Manor.
Each tile perfectly
misshapen,
jagged
in the best way.
Their stories,
their lives,
their struggles,
their love,
their homes,
their voices.
Everything they touch is art
Simply waiting to be seen worthy
by a powerful eye.
Durban
by Olivia Santarsiero
Durban is
Resilience.
Strength.
Unrest.
Wisdom.
Miraculously,
unjaded,
not falling victim to cynicism.
Young people
lured into university
with a promise of
opportunity,
wealth.
Only to leave better educated on Shakespeare,
not their country.
Laughing,
he says with a smile,
“University only teaches you to speak English”
aware of the powerful grip
Eurocentrism still holds on their culture.
Remaining hopeful,
the search for
justice
bubbles and burns
in the hearts of the youth
Thirsty for
democracy
equality
opportunity.
Not the current
monopoly
inequity
apathy.
Working to heal wounds
one hundred years deep.
Refusing to look at their past
with anything other than
discontent.
Creating a new
Durban System
built on diversity,
rejecting exclusivity.
Realizing the last to change
will be things we cannot see;
attitudes,
glances,
mindsets.
Time will mend these as well.
Durban is resilient.
South Africa is resilient.
Resilience is refreshing.
Hi Olivia,
You wrote beautiful, inspiring and brilliant poems to describe both countries. A nice departure from a traditional blog. You are a real talent!
Thank you Nicole! I need to get back into writing poetry. It is so calming and truly the best way for me to reflect on my experiences 🙂