scion of meteor and gold
(Tribute to Lesego Motsepe, in memoriam)
long ago
before humankind was born a meteor fell from the sky and chose the river Nile
its earthly home
deep into the bowels of the Nile did the meteor descend
until it found a nugget of gold nestled on the riverbed below
thus did the gold and meteor entwine
a cosmic embrace that gave the universe its first being to be known in time to come
as a black woman
tshadi e mmilo
tshetlhana ya gauta
shadi wa madi aa patsimang
in her locks resplendent and aflame
the source from whose dance with a lion
a man was born
and he too was of the soil
the very hue of god
scion of meteor and gold
a piece of magic that emerged eons ago from the belly of the Nile
a union witnessed by the moon in silent orbit in the beginning
was a piece of gold
when a meteor fell upon the earth
on the back of the elephant
she rode and rode and rode
a journey convoyed by the royal game of the wild with eagles to the fore
on a pilgrimage to the Great Lakes
the ancient home of a beauty most sublime
and when first light began
the sun marshalled the lion to her path
scion of meteor and gold daughter of the soil
paragon of creation
sweet womb of the human race the gift most celestial
all honour to your grace
rise
rise
scion of meteor and gold tsoga
motsogapele
come forward
black woman
upon your brow must rest the crown of the earth
*****
© Moemise Motsepe Thursday, 28 April 2022