The Rejection Letter
by Kutlwano Mokgoro
The truth is, I want to believe you
When you say you love me
When you promise to never hurt me
Never lay a hand on me
When you say “Not all men”
I do, I do want to believe you
But the ugly truth is, every time I look at you
I either see the best thing that could happen to me
Or a one-way trip to meet my Maker
Please forgive me for being skeptical of your love
But it is a direct result of living in a country
Where I’m constantly made to feel like the last piece of chicken
On Christmas day.
I cannot get over the fact that one day
You might become my absolute worst nightmare
When I look into your eyes, I see the potential you have
And I start to wonder, ‘how would you do it?’
Would it be easier for you to wrap my body,
Blood still seeping like the red sea, and burn me
Or would it be more entertaining for you
To leave me on my mother’s door step
And say “Good riddance.”
See I understand quite clearly
That it’s “Not all men”
But I also understand that love and death
Is all one and the same,
In this country
There’s no difference in between
And while I want the Love
It seems I cannot have it, without having to
Play Russian Roulette with you
At least once in my life.
So please do forgive me
I’m not a risk taker
I cannot love you,
Not when I see my funeral
In your eyes.
PDBY publishes poetry submitted by University of Pretoria students. Submissions can be sent to editor@pdby.co.za. All submissions can be read at pdby.co.za.
Poetry Corner features poems and writings submitted by UP students to PDBY. Submissions are not edited and do not reflect the views or positions of PDBY or its staff members. All submissions remain the responsibility of the respective authors.
