POETRY                                                                                               (Copyright - Pierre du Toit)
                                     ............................................................................................................................................................

                                                          

All and Nothing

(Lecture by a Visiting Cockroach* on the subject of
“The Equilibrium of Individual and Universal Being”)

Forget that mirror
  
                                   you know that face
  
                                   (the mirror has a million eyes
                                      a million clones of I)
  
                                   Go to the kitchen
                                      (down on your knees
  
                                   flat on your stomach
  
                                   cheek on the floor)
  
                                   watch
  
                                   and be wise -
  
                                   while from above we're all alike
  
                                   (white racists see in colours
  
                                   but are blind within the dark ones;
  
                                   for black ones
  
                                   turn the shadows over)
  
                                   from here you'll see
  
                                   that every 'roach has different features
  
                                   every feeler different lines -
  
                                   and then get up
  
                                   (don't step on any)
  
                                   and leave the kitchen for the clouds
  
                                   look down and see
  
                                   humanity
  
                                   in the mirror of the many
  
                                   seek yourself
  
                                   and feel the safety
  
                                   in the sameness
  
                                   of your face

-

                                      *A note on the Speaker:

Who is this cockroach?
  
                                   Preacher?  Pest?
  
                                   A preaching mirror?
  
                                   (Much maligned,
  
                                   they're very clean;
  
                                   they preen themselves
  
                                   until they shine)
  
                                   They do not speak
  
                                   (at least not English)
  
                                   and yet they change our or to and
  
                                   between extremes of
  
                                   all
  
                                   and
  
                                   nothing

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