One night downtown
I had this breakdown
Not scary like horror
Not boring like nerves
Just this one-night downtown
Breakdown.
Not filthy quiet
Like the death of a whore
Not flesh torn by bicycle chains
Like inner city riots after football
Defeats
Not greasy blinking Loss
Crying into beer cursing the boss
Just this one-night downtown
Breakdown
My mind refused to cuff and kick
Bolted down manholes to licksick laughs
Out of the mess masquerading under my name
The candle of darkness was at midnight pitch
Only black cindersparks where I used to holler
Curses at the dark ghosts of history's bicycle
Race
Not sneaking out of her life
Not holding out on her a revolution spin-
ning back-wards
and O just this one-night downtown
Breakdown
I had this breakdown
Not scary like horror
Not boring like nerves
Just this one-night downtown
Breakdown.
Not filthy quiet
Like the death of a whore
Not flesh torn by bicycle chains
Like inner city riots after football
Defeats
Not greasy blinking Loss
Crying into beer cursing the boss
Just this one-night downtown
Breakdown
My mind refused to cuff and kick
Bolted down manholes to licksick laughs
Out of the mess masquerading under my name
The candle of darkness was at midnight pitch
Only black cindersparks where I used to holler
Curses at the dark ghosts of history's bicycle
Race
Not sneaking out of her life
Not holding out on her a revolution spin-
ning back-wards
and O just this one-night downtown
Breakdown
from Cemetery of Mind, Dambudzo Marechera, Baobab Books, Harare, 1995
I had a vague idea that Marechera wrote novels, but had no idea he also wrote poetry. All knowledge of him comes via China Miéville, who also mentioned his poetry in a recent podcast. So naturally I went looking.
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