‘Shshsh listen’ – a poem by Kerry Jones inspired by Chief Tsamkxao ǂOma
Taking us away from coronavirus for a change, this is a powerful and important poem written by Dr Kerry Jones, a linguist and activist for mother tongue education in Khoe and San languages in southern Africa. Unfortunately, we are still presenting some of the troubles of San life. Next time we will talk of something life-affirming, positive and exciting! I promise!
The poem concerns the longstanding problem of illegal cattle herding in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy. Despite the community’s efforts to fight the illegal occupation and exploitation of their land, those in the position to act on the solution continually fail to do so.
Chief Tsamkxao ǂOma, the traditional leader of the Ju|’hoansi in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy shared his feelings on the issue with Kerry and expressed that ‘Namibians need to know what is happening in Tsumkwe and in Nyae Nyae. There is enough land for all. We have fought hard for our land and our people. Our rights must be protected, and the time is now.”
The poem is included in a recent compilation of poems: My heart in your hands: poems from Namibia. Compiled by Naitsikile Iizyenda and Jill Kinahan. University of Unam Press (2020).
Shshsh…listen…
Shshsh…listen…
The ground sizzles in the heat
The mirage of the horizon hazy with dust
They’re coming…
You can hear their hooves crunching through the dry delicate veld
Their call echoes across the land
Their stench rises as they near the soiled pan
Slurping and sucking from the cesspool, once a watering hole for all
Laden and bellowing they scour the area for signs of fresh green growth
Ripping, crushing, destroying relentlessly
Leaving no trace of endemic life behind
Shshsh… listen…
A baby cries, stomach aching, cramping
Eyes squinted from the constant pestering of flies
Water, the life vein, is contaminated
Sickness prevails where young and old are first to undeservedly suffer
Mothers are out searching, with well-trained eyes they scan the bush
The traces of veld food trampled and destroyed
Aia[1] must move deeper into Nyae Nyae
Leaving behind the sick and weak in search of nourishment and medicine
Tamah[2]
Dcaa[3]
Dchun[4]
G!xoa[5]
Tci-||a’asi[6]
Toq[7]
ǂ’Om-n|ais[8]i
|| Xamtci ||oq’oro[9]
Aia, mama, !ui!ui, da’abi!oa[10]
A successful forage, but each time further and further afield
We are worried about those we love, back at the n!ore[11]
Now, so much further away than before
We begin the long journey home
Shshsh…listen…
Chief Tsamkxao ǂOma shakes his head and rubs his bare feet over the earth
They are coming…
They have been coming for many years now
We have kept them back
Fighting for the protection of our land
Kieviet, he was fighting with me
We were young, strong during the n!ai[12]
We shot those gumi[13] if they came across the border
But now we are old
The gumi are too many
And we’ve turned to paper for protection
We write and write
We meet and meet
Zero action from local police Our people, the Ju|’hoansi, are sick and suffering
Kashipembe[14] riding in on hooves
Eroding our bodies and minds
Feeding addiction
Breaking and scattering families
We are poisoned
As unlawful invaders continue to move in
Depleting unforgivingly
Our carefully protected resources
This needs to stop
Now
Shshsh…listen….
The cattle are coming!
[1] Mother
[2] Tsamma melon
[3] Gemsbok cucumber
[4] Bush potato
[5] Water-root kambroo
[6] Seeds
[7] Brown honey
[8] Baobab fruit
[9] Devil’s Claw
[10] Mother, grandmother, older sister, children
[11] Village
[12] War
[13] Cattle
[14] Home-brewed drink with addictive chemicals added