Afzal Moolla- A Poem

My Madness, Me...

Confined by this straight-jacket,

strapped in, numb and dumbed,

a washed-out, has-been, also-ran,

body, eyes, the equilibrium of mind,

rattling like stones in an old tin-can.

Still, I am, 

I am,

and I am unchained,

my dreams taking flight, soaring,

above these claustrophobic walls,

of synapses, and dungeons of stone,

swooping through green valleys,

taking a detour to savour the joys,

soaked in torrential, evergreen memories,

of a younger man, with passion in his bone.

I am.

My wings unclipped, unshackled, free,

I am, and though I am unable to see,

I am.

At long last,

me.

Afzal Moolla was born to exiled South African parents engaged in the struggle against

Apartheid in South Africa.  He currently lives and works in Johannesburg.