Two Poems

Meeting the Artist in Durban

My name is Philemon.
I am self-taught -
This is red-ivory,
here, a kudo -
People think I'm crazy
because I get my wood
out of the river -
I don't chop down trees.
I sit by the river for many hours
watching for wood.
I fish for wood.
This piece, this kudo
took three days
to finish.
Oh I can find
many branches - tambouti
red-ivory - the Zulu woman bends
like that - very low down
she goes with the wood.
I am self-taught.
...