1988
Dream as Simon Nkoli
Artefact: Collection, ‘Till the time of Trial: The prison letters of Simon Nkoli’, edited by Shaun de Waal and Karen Martin, published by Gay and Lesbian Memory in Action (formerly GALA), October 2007.
Hellow
Hellow
Those are the first words
Roy
I'm fantasising already
All the time
It’s just a silly opera
Will be entitled
‘To Love Again’
After Danielle Steel
Or
‘Bleeding Heart’
All love story
No politics
Light
Relaxing
A fairy story
I'm the only one who has a perfect voice
For soprano
Other people can’t sing as well
Like those screaming queens in the dungeon
But, it will be a good music
I happen to love the music, already
The libretto?
Be sympathetic to me
With my spelling
The rude language.
Stumbling rocks
Spoons, mugs, diamonds
Rust plates
Soap, washing-rags
Honey, sugar, shit
Summer shine
Warm dew
Rosy loneliness
Pillows, blankets, toilet-papers
Crying Cindy combs
Moaning, dying plastic bags
Show-off shoes
Running shoes
Size seven
Socks, sheets, trousers
Underpants
White shorts
Yellow jackets
Green track suits
Nice brown suits
Brownish ties
Sky-blue Carducci suits
The purple colour
The colour purple
What do you think? …
It's Avant Garde
Comment allez-vous?
Lights, colour, orchestra, dance
It will be an opera for the future
Not now
Thirty years, or so
Resurrected
Rehabilitated
Then people will be ready for it
Likely a big hit in
Say
2022
In cruel, crazy, beautiful
South Africa
Maybe
I must try to explain to you
It will be based on a true story
Oh!
The people are singing so badly nowadays and I'm sick of correcting them
They don’t seem to want to sing well at all
But one song is coming alright.
Right
Write
Not
Knot
Ship
Sheep
Sea
Can
I see
Can
Of beans
O!
Oh deer
O dear! O dear!
IKO
Correct
IKO
Corrang
Grazy
Juste
Zenda!
This is the chorus
Lots of percussion
Timpani
Scarlet costumes
Then the melody line
I was your possession …
That's how it goes, how the hero
Heroine
Joan
Jennifer
Danielle
Cindy
Sim
Psymon
Sings
Perfect soprano
… Every-morning love
Love hangover
Owned
Just a beautiful thing
Just a silent radio
She hasn’t got batteries
Couldn't speak
Or utter a single word
I don't know
Gcina said it sounded divine
Gcina is a good writer, one can’t compare himself with him
Maybe I have to go back to reading ‘Promises’ …
Hellow
Those are the first words
Roy
I'm fantasising already
All the time
It’s just a silly opera
Will be entitled
‘To Love Again’
After Danielle Steel
Or
‘Bleeding Heart’
All love story
No politics
Light
Relaxing
A fairy story
I'm the only one who has a perfect voice
For soprano
Other people can’t sing as well
Like those screaming queens in the dungeon
But, it will be a good music
I happen to love the music, already
The libretto?
Be sympathetic to me
With my spelling
The rude language.
Stumbling rocks
Spoons, mugs, diamonds
Rust plates
Soap, washing-rags
Honey, sugar, shit
Summer shine
Warm dew
Rosy loneliness
Pillows, blankets, toilet-papers
Crying Cindy combs
Moaning, dying plastic bags
Show-off shoes
Running shoes
Size seven
Socks, sheets, trousers
Underpants
White shorts
Yellow jackets
Green track suits
Nice brown suits
Brownish ties
Sky-blue Carducci suits
The purple colour
The colour purple
What do you think? …
It's Avant Garde
Comment allez-vous?
Lights, colour, orchestra, dance
It will be an opera for the future
Not now
Thirty years, or so
Resurrected
Rehabilitated
Then people will be ready for it
Likely a big hit in
Say
2022
In cruel, crazy, beautiful
South Africa
Maybe
I must try to explain to you
It will be based on a true story
Oh!
The people are singing so badly nowadays and I'm sick of correcting them
They don’t seem to want to sing well at all
But one song is coming alright.
Right
Write
Not
Knot
Ship
Sheep
Sea
Can
I see
Can
Of beans
O!
Oh deer
O dear! O dear!
IKO
Correct
IKO
Corrang
Grazy
Juste
Zenda!
This is the chorus
Lots of percussion
Timpani
Scarlet costumes
Then the melody line
I was your possession …
That's how it goes, how the hero
Heroine
Joan
Jennifer
Danielle
Cindy
Sim
Psymon
Sings
Perfect soprano
… Every-morning love
Love hangover
Owned
Just a beautiful thing
Just a silent radio
She hasn’t got batteries
Couldn't speak
Or utter a single word
I don't know
Gcina said it sounded divine
Gcina is a good writer, one can’t compare himself with him
Maybe I have to go back to reading ‘Promises’ …