I Sing A Song by Mgcini Nyoni

I sing a song
for the lovers
kissing and cuddling
in the park
It might not last forever
or it might
So I sing a song
I sing a song
for the young prostitute
her life might change
and she perhaps
won’t cry a river
every night
So I sing a song
I sing a song
for the children
playing and screaming
in the dusty street
ecstatic in their
youthful innocence
They should enjoy it
while it lasts
I sing a song
for the wife
enjoying orgasm for the first time
after ten years of marriage
there is always light
at the end of the tunnel
So I sing a song
I sing a song
for the pregnant teenager
Perhaps she is carrying
the country’s next president
perhaps he won’t be a tyrant
So I sing a song
I sing a song
for the old lady
roasting nuts and maize by the roadside
to feed AIDS orphans
So we can say YES WE CAN
So I sing a song
I sing a song
for the flowers in bloom
the singing birds-
reminding us to smile
and be happy once in a while
I sing a song
for the silently weeping,
the grieving
the broken-hearted-
it will come to pass
and the sun will shine again
I sing a song
for the young man
looking longingly at the luxury car
and muttering ONE DAY
One day he will realize his dream
So I sing a song
I sing a song
for the young couple
taking comfort in their
love for each other
minding not
the sugarless black tea
So I sing a song
I sing a song
for the poet
scribbling by candlelight
knowing not
when a publishing deal will come
but hopeful
I sing a song