Hopeless Child by Hester Nontobeko

Imprisoned minds by the blocked-up shacks all around us

The dirty drains show off the suffocating, low spirits of young people with no hope of a better tomorrow.

The daily dream of a black child choked, shackled up in between politics rivalry for power.

While they fight for position and power, black child waking up next to the smoke of a burning shack at the next street,

Black child hooked up in the thoughts that my home could be caught by fire next.

We are told the future is in our hands as young people, how is that possible when the laws and regulations put in place have cut off our hands; our future is killed before it could even take off.

At 35 years you are told to get a job; what is that, where is the future in that?

Blindsiding us with hopeful promises that means nothing to them.

We fight for belonging in a world that sees us as “just existing”

We all want to be seen, noticed but the fact is that we make soundless noise which is not heard.

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