Alexandra - Wally Mongane Serote

1 Were it possible to say,

2 Mother, I have seen more beautiful mothers,
3 A most loving mother,
4 And tell her there I will go,
5 Alexandra, I would have long gone from you.

6 But we have only one mother, none can replace,

7 Just as we have no choice to be born,
8 We can't choose mothers;
9 We fall out of them like we fall out of life to death.

10 And, Alexandra,
11 My beginning was knotted to you,
12 Just like you knot my destiny.
13 You throb in my inside silences
14 You are silent in my heart-beat that's loud to me.
15 Alexandra often I've cried.
16 When I was thirsty my tongue tasted dust,
17 Dust burdening your nipples.
18 I cry Alexandra when I am thirsty.
19 Your breasts ooze the dirty waters of your dongas,
20 Waters diluted with the blood of my brothers, your children,
21 Who once chose dongas for death-beds.
22 Do you love me Alexandra, or what are you doing to me?

23 You frighten me, Mama,

24 You wear expressions like you would be nasty to me,
25 You frighten me, Mama,
26 When I lie on your breast to rest, something tells me
27 You are bloody cruel.
28 Alexandra, hell
29 What have you done to me?
30 I have seen people but I feel like I'm not one,
31 Alexandra what are you doing to me?
32 I feel I have sunk to such meekness!
33 I lie flat while others walk on me to far places.
34 I have gone from you, many times,
35 I come back.
36 Alexandra, I love you;
37 I know
38 When all these worlds became funny to me
39 I silently waded back to you
40 And amid the rubble I lay,
41 Simple and black.
1. THE POET
 Wally Mongane Serote is a well-known Struggle (anti-Apartheid) poet who was born
on 8 May 1944.
 He grew up during a time of great poverty and suffering in South Africa.
 At the end of his high school years, he joined the ANC and soon became involved
in the Black Consciousness Movement. In 1969 he was imprisoned without trial
and kept in solitary confinement for nine months. When he was released, he was
awarded a scholarship to study at Columbia University in the USA.
 He began writing poetry in 1970’s, when Apartheid was at its worst. His inspiration
was poetry that spoke of black identity, resistance and revolt.
 He went into voluntary exile in Botswana and only came home again when
Apartheid was beginning to fall.
 Serote was not only a member of parliament after the 1994 elections, but he is also
an award-winning poet and novelist.
 In his works, Serote expresses his bitterness about the systems of Apartheid and
racial oppression. His main ideas are about the terrible treatment of black people
during Apartheid. He is also interested in what black people believe about
themselves (black consciousness).
 For Serote, poetry is a way to get his message across. People can read,
understand and remember the experiences of others through poems.
 In practice, Serote, a deeply spiritual man, is involved in the vital healing the country
needs. In his private capacity, he is a traditional healer as well as CEO of the
Freedom Park Trust.

2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
 During Apartheid, black education suffered, black people were bullied, and many
were forced to leave their land.
 Townships grew amid poverty, danger, crime, fear and stress.
 There were many demonstrations and bombings as different groups of people
fought for equal rights in the Struggle.
 Alexandra is a large township outside Johannesburg, where there have been many
demonstrations in the past. It was the site of several protests and clashes between
residents and the police. It is a difficult place to live because of overcrowding,
extreme poverty and high crime rates. Many people there are fighting to survive,
even today.
 Even though Apartheid is not a law anymore, there are still many issues around
segregation, injustice and inequality in South Africa.

3. TYPE
 Protest poetry: The poem draws the attention to inequality and social ills. It is often
directed at the corruption and moral injustice perpetrated by the government of a
country.
o In South Africa, protest poetry became a common way of criticising the
Apartheid government during the 1970’s and 1980’s although because of
strict censorship laws, poets often had to make their points quite subtly.
Alexandra

1 Were it possible to say,

2 Mother, I have seen more beautiful mothers,

3 A most loving mother,

4 And tell her there I will go,

5 Alexandra, I would have long gone from you.

6 But we have only one mother, none can replace,

7 Just as we have no choice to be born,

8 We can't choose mothers;

9 We fall out of them like we fall out of life to death.

10 And, Alexandra,

11 My beginning was knotted to you,

12 Just like you knot my destiny.

13 You throb in my inside silences

14 You are silent in my heart-beat that's loud to me.

15 Alexandra often I've cried.

16 When I was thirsty my tongue tasted dust,

17 Dust burdening your nipples.

18 I cry Alexandra when I am thirsty.

19 Your breasts ooze the dirty waters of your dongas,

20 Waters diluted with the blood of my brothers, your children,

21 Who once chose dongas for death-beds.

22 Do you love me Alexandra, or what are you doing to me?

23 You frighten me, Mama,

24 You wear expressions like you would be nasty to me,

25 You frighten me, Mama,

26 When I lie on your breast to rest, something tells me

27 You are bloody cruel.

28 Alexandra, hell

29 What have you done to me?

30 I have seen people but I feel like I'm not one,

31 Alexandra what are you doing to me?

32 I feel I have sunk to such meekness!

33 I lie flat while others walk on me to far places.

34 I have gone from you, many times,

35 I come back.

36 Alexandra, I love you;

37 I know

38 When all these worlds became funny to me

39 I silently waded back to you

40 And amid the rubble I lay,

41 Simple and black.

Mongane Wally Serote