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MOTHO KE MOTHO KA BATHO BABANG Jeremy Cronin
MOTHO KE MOTHO KA BATHO BABANG Jeremy Cronin (A Person is a Person Because of Other People) 1 By holding my mirror out of the window I see 2 Clear to the end of the passage. 3 There’s a person down there. 4 A prisoner polishing a doorhandle. 5 In the mirror I see him see 6 My face in the mirror, 7 I see the fingertips of his free hand 8 Bunch together, as if to make 9 An object the size of a badge 10 Which travels up to his forehead 11 The place of an imaginary cap. 12 (This means: A warder) 13 Two fingers are extended in a vee 14 And wiggle like two antennae. 15 (He’s being watched.) 16 A finger of his free hand makes a watch-hand’s arc 17 On the wrist of his polishing arm without 18 Disrupting the slow-slow rhythm of his work. 19 (Later. Maybe later we can speak.) 20 Hey! Wat maak jy daar? 21 ̶ a voice from around the corner. 22 No. Just polishing baas. 23 He turns back to me, now watch 24 His free hand, the talkative one, 25 Slips quietly behind 26 ̶ Strength brother, it says, 27 In my mirror, 28 A black fist
By holding my mirror out of the window I see
Clear to the end of the passage.
There’s a person down there. A prisoner polishing a doorhandle. In the mirror I see him see My face in the mirror, I see the fingertips of his free hand Bunch together, as if to make An object the size of a badge Which travels up to his forehead The place of an imaginary cap. (This means: A warder) Two fingers are extended in a vee And wiggle like two antennae. (He’s being watched.) A finger of his free hand makes a watch-hand’s arc On the wrist of his polishing arm without Disrupting the slow-slow rhythm of his work. (Later. Maybe later we can speak.) Hey! What are you doing there? — a voice from around the corner. No. Just polishing boss. He turns back to me, now watch His free hand, the talkative one, Slips quietly behind — Strength brother, it says, In my mirror, A black fist