You are whole and prolific,
A sacred spirit,
An abundant soul and holy temple.
Why else would they wait for you to muffle your mind,
Your guard to sleep before they steal your glory?
Thieves have an eye for what they wish they had, green with envy.
I hope you catch them red-handed every time.
For they will steal from you first,
Then ask for you later,
Hoping you don’t remember.
You show your teeth,
They see a ticket to a feast,
Beware of these twisted thieves!
Familiarity breeds contempt.
A smile doesn’t exempt consent.
About the Author: Senetisiwe Ginindza is a poet and performer from the rural area Zandondo in Eswatini. Her poems are inspired by the human experience and delve into the dark and light of it. Her craft has developed into theatrical enactments and a captivating flow of body movements, as an additional way of storytelling through her poems. Locally, she has performed at several events including the renowned MTN Bushfire Digital Festival. She has worked with Standard bank and United Nations Women for the #HeforShe Campaign, which advocates for gender equality in the workplace. Outside her native country, she has performed at the South African National Arts Festival and Mozambique’s Poetas D’alma International Festival for Poetry and Performing Arts. Her most recent appearance was at the African Crossroads event, with a poetry and movement piece on the topic of climate change.
Word Smash Poetry Movement 