Poetry | From the comfort of my couch

Words by Jess Bothma. Image by Niamh Walsh-Vorster.

Visual references shift
Like the blow of the wind,
From the East a warning
And the West ignoring

I thought
We would be untouched.
Most of our people
survive on some kind of crutch.
Historical redress
Contemporary unrest

Take care and repair
So much already
the collective conscience
cannot deny nor dismiss

But the Sun rises
On some day,
The birds sing
From the comfort of my couch
My safe home
I write this poem.

I am a Durban-based sculptor. My own language explores; identity (place and people), memory, dreams, the environment and materials as metaphor. I have been writing poetry since 2016, I use it as a tool to reflect on things and to expand and keep some of my thoughts and experiences together. I love the freedom of writing poetry — words become more than what they mean, how they look and sound becomes meaning too — Jess Bothma.