Gathering Embers

By Langutani n’wa Vahlengwe

I collect pieces left behind, in eerie walls where shadows align
A dim glow guides me through the dark
I collect debris of shattered dreams, what’s been lost
Illuminate the faint fallacies that haunt us still
In far-off lands, where frozen hearts and minds clutch tight
The weight of war and legacy of pain
I gather and set right, burning the venom of nuclear scars
Seeking to heal the wounds that still remain
In the depths of night, I’ve lit a fire, a beacon in the dark
Though once I shunned the world’s embrace, I’ve come to see
The splendour, the paragon beauty meant to be. 

Langutani n’wa Vahlengwe actively advocates for sustainable development, inclusivity and equity. Born and raised in the purlieus Winterveld, South Africa, her writing is driven by a cantankerous disposition to uncovering the uninterrupted degradation of the mind of former colonies.