He Went (Into the Open)

He went into the open
colouring our new democracy
(with all its warts and all)

The new South Africa
where dark thoughts
abound behind the veil
of your group-kraal

He should have stayed
inside of the strictures
of the party walls
and the Constitution
(nobody blessed him)

He went into the open
with an over-supply
of backward-speak
apartheid Verwoerd-style
(later ones had style too)

He went into the open
feet-first did he
our government’s voice
in the social engineering sector

He went into the open
unlike the many
whose phobias
are sheltered

One view in public
come 16 days of activism
and national political holidays
another in the private
of sushi festivities

He went into the open
strayed from the collective
of our rainbow nation

At least he went

The ANC secretary-general does the “He went into the open” (Cape Times, March 3 2011 – “Manyi row: Zuma steps in”). “Manyi row: Zuma steps in”).

- David Kapp, david_kapp@yahoo.com