A Tribute to the People of South Africa
Hear the names
From whence we come
Honour the tribes
That make us one
We hear your name –
Venda, Lobedu, Pedi
Ndebele, Kgatla, Ngwato
Tlokwa, Kwena, Hurutshe –
We speak your fame
We hear your name –
Ngwaketse, Thembu, Ndlambe
Ncqika, Gcaleka, Bomvana
Mpondo, Mpondomise, Zizi –
We speak your fame
We hear your name –
Behle, Qwabe, Mthetwa
Ndwandwe, Hlubi, Phuthing
Pulana, Thembe, Swazi –
We speak your fame
We hear your name –
Portugal, Holland, Britain
Malaysia, France, Germany
India, Italy, Middle-East –
We speak your fame
Hear the names
Of our mother tongue
Speak of the words
That make us one
We hear you speak –
Venda, North Sotho, Swazi
South Sotho, Tsonga, Tswana
Ndebele, Xhosa, Zulu –
Your words we keep
We hear you speak –
Afrikaans, Arabic, English
German, Greek, Hebrew,
Hindi, Italian, Portuguese –
Your words we keep
These are the streams
From whence we come
These are the dreams
That make us one
Wayne Visser © 2017
Book
I Am An African: Favourite Africa Poems
This creative collection, now in its 5th edition, brings together Africa poems by Wayne Visser, including the ever popular “I Am An African”, as well as old favourites like “Women of Africa”, “I Know A Place in Africa”, “Prayer for Africa” and “African Dream”. The anthology celebrates the luminous continent and its rainbow people. The updated 5th Edition includes new poems like “Africa Untamed” and “Land of the Sun”. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.
