If you don't know her yet, you should check her out. Before
she comitted suicide, she left a small but most incredibly
good and beautiful collection of poetry for us to enjoy.

She inspired me to write again, for the first time in ages.

On 27 April 1994, in his inaugural address at the union
buildings in Pretoria, former president Nelson Mandela
read one of Ingrid Jonker's poems:

***

The child who was shot dead by soldiers at Nyanga

The child is not dead
The child lifts his fists against his mother
Who shouts Afrika ! shouts the breath
Of freedom and the veld
In the locations of the cordoned heart

The child lifts his fists against his father
in the march of the generations
who shouts Afrika ! shout the breath
of righteousness and blood
in the streets of his embattled pride

The child is not dead not at Langa nor at Nyanga
not at Orlando nor at Sharpeville
nor at the police station at Philippi
where he lies with a bullet through his brain

The child is the dark shadow of the soldiers
on guard with rifles Saracens and batons
the child is present at all assemblies and law-givings
the child peers through the windows of houses and into the hearts of mothers
this child who just wanted to play in the sun at Nyanga is everywhere
the child grown to a man treks through all Africa

the child grown into a giant journeys through the whole world
Without a pass

***

Pretty impressive eh? My favorit poem by her is called:

"Waitingtime in Amsterdam". Fcuz, she wrote in south african
but her poetry has been translated in many languages.

This is my little [insufficient] tribute to her:


INGRID JONKER

Today a hoarse voice spoke to me,
through channels and transmissions,
through a body lying in the sea.

I've missed you and I waited here,
dressed myself and set this table
with bread and my constituency.

Sunset came and dragged the sole.
remainders of my psyche down to
the glaciers at the southern pole

I Drew a bath to dowse this torment-
tiny hairs resembling seaweeds
dancing sleepdrunk on the current.

But a bath is not sufficiently deep…
And I saw you walking barefoot
to a comfort more trustworthy than sleep



Anyway, if you like poetry in any kind of form, please do
take out the time to read some of her work, I promise you
it will be well worth the time or money.

I love you for pointing out things to think about...