Poetry next to the railway*

it is the first Wednesday of the month

that means we gather for open mic poetry in

the dusky light of the Steampunk coffee shop

in Lions River, The Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal

familiar and new faces come to read and enjoy poetry

within the tiny interior of the shop

the cold July air seeps into our bones

our hearts grow warmer with each syllable

i read poems by Antjie Krog, Ian McCallum and myself

outside the noisy traffic on the R103 can not stifle the intimacy

here next to the railway poetry is spoken and felt

rippling through throat and teeth

we are all a little nervous as we set off vocalising that first syllable

but by the end of each poem everyone feels

the joining of air and word

a unification of people as varied as the stars

afterwards we huddle around the counter to

dish up Mrs Thokan’s breyani for R30 a plate

and Mike’s coffee is on the house

even if we do not see each other outside this circle of poetry

we do not care for

here

right now

is where our tongues

come alive for

a fleeting eternity

*This poem is published in the Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Anthology for 2017.