pantoum for the parting by Nkateko Masinga

pantoum for the parting

by Nkateko Masinga

what a mess i will leave you with
none the wiser, mass of fragility
baby girl, my face in miniature
turn the ache into architecture

none the wiser, mass of fragility
grow smart like mama, eloquent
turn the ache into architecture
speeches at presidential suites

grow smart like mama, eloquent
your father’s height, dizzy spins
speeches at presidential suites
hopelessly enchant the masses

your father’s height, dizzy spins
baby girl, my face in miniature
hopelessly enchant the masses
what a mess i will leave you with

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Nkateko Masinga is a Pushcart Prize nominee and the author of three poetry collections: ‘The Sin In My Blackness’ (2015). ‘A War Within The Blood’ (2016) and ‘While The World Was Burning’ (2017). Her work has been published in the 2017 edition of U.S journal ‘Illuminations’ and she is a 2019 Fellow of the Ebedi International Writers Residency.