Indawo yeSylvia wazalwa ngo-Okthobha 27, 1932 e Boston. Imbongi, naye wabhala iprozi nezincoko. Ngaba une ubomi obunzima, uneengxaki zengqondo ukusukela ebutsheni bakhe kunye noxinzelelo lomntu. Kwaye ikamva lakhe laphawulwa ngokuqhawula umtshato nomyeni wakhe. Kodwa sibhiyozela i Isikhumbuzo sokuzalwa kwakhe kwaye eyona nto ikhunjulwayo kukufunda eminye yemibongo yakhe. Aba ngabanyulwa bam.
Indawo yeSylvia
Upapashe eyakhe umbongo wokuqala ngayo nje iminyaka esibhozo Waqhubeka nokubhala amabali kunye neendinyana awazithumela kwiimagazini ezahlukeneyo, ezamvumela ukuba abe nempumelelo yakhe yokuqala. Phakathi kwiminyaka yama-50s, kwaye xa ndandisele ndinesifo esiliqela ukuphazamiseka kwengqondo, waphumelela kwiKholeji yaseSmith. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba aye kwisibhedlele sabagula ngengqondo ngokuzama ukuzibulala.
Unayo Isifundi seFulbright Kwaye waye kwiYunivesithi yaseCambridge, apho aqhubeka khona nomsebenzi wakhe wokubhala. Apho wadibana UTed uyanganaWatshata naye kwaye waba nabantwana ababini. Kodwa umtshato wahlukana omnye mzantsi yomyeni wakhe. Kwimeko enjalo, ngabantwana ababini abaphetheyo, abagulayo kwaye bengafumani mali, suicidio yabuyela kuye. Kwaye xa wayeneminyaka engamashumi amathathu kuphela ubudala, wathatha ubomi bakhe ngokuxhamla kwi-gas.
Imisebenzi yakhe iquka izihloko ezinje Umbala omkhulu, Ukuwela amanzi, Imithi yasebusika o Intsimbi yentsimbi. Ndifumene i IPubitzer Prize ngo-1982, njengoko emva kokufa, yabo Gqibezela imibongo.
Imibongo
Amagama
Izembe
Emva kokuvuthelwa kweenkuni,
Kwaye ama-echoes!
Ichaphazela ukubuyela umva
Ukusuka embindini njengamahashe.
I-SAP
Idumba njengeenyembezi, njenge
Ukuxinana kwamanzi
Ukuseta kwakhona isipili sakho
Elityeni
Oko kuyawa kujike
Ukhakhayi olumhlophe,
Ukutyiwa lukhula.
Kwiminyaka kamva
Ndidibana nabo endleleni -
Amagama awomileyo ngaphandle komkhweli.
Ingxolo engadinwayo yeempuphu.
Ngexesha
Ukusuka ezantsi kwequla, iinkwenkwezi ezizinzileyo
Balawula ubomi.
***
Inkanuko
Ukuba inyanga iyancuma, ingabonakala njengawe.
Ushiya umbono ofanayo
Yinto entle kakhulu, kodwa etshabalalisayo.
Bobabini banobuchule bokukhanya okubolekayo.
Umlomo wakhe ukhalela ihlabathi; eyakho ayinakushukunyiswa,
Kwaye isipho sakho sokuqala kukujika yonke into ibe ngamatye.
Ndivuka emangcwabeni; Ingaba ulapha,
Ukugxotha iminwe yam kwitafile yemabhile, ukukhangela icuba,
Ubudenge njengomfazi, kodwa hayi njengovalo,
Kwaye ndife ukuthetha into engenakuphendulwa.
Inyanga nayo iyazithoba izifundo zayo,
Kodwa emini kuyahlekisa.
Ukungoneliseki kwakho, kwelinye icala,
Baza ngebhokisi yeposi rhoqo ngothando,
Imhlophe kwaye ayinanto, iyanda njengekhabhon monokside.
Akukho mini ikhuselekileyo kwiindaba zakho;
Nge-Afrika, mhlawumbi, kodwa ndicinga ngam.
***
Ndime nkqo
Ndingathanda ukufuna ukungagungqi.
Andingomthi oneengcambu ezinzulu
emhlabeni, ukucoca amaminerali kunye nothando lomama,
kukhula kwakhona ngoMatshi ukuya kuMatshi,
ukukhanya, nokuzingca ngeparterre
Mhlophe ngokukhwaza, upeyintwe kakhulu,
kwaye kumqukumbelo, andikuhoyi, kokulahleka kwamagqabi.
Xa kuthelekiswa nam akanakufa
Umthi, kunye neentyatyambo ezomeleleyo:
Ndingathanda ubudala bunye, ukungakhathali kwabanye.
Ngobu busuku, kukukhanya okungapheliyo
zeenkwenkwezi, imithi neentyatyambo
bayisasazile ngokutsha kwabo okukhulu.
Ndihamba phakathi kwabo, abandiboni xa ndilele
Ngamanye amaxesha ndicinga ukuba mna mzalwana
kunanini na ngaphambili: ingqondo yam iyehla.
Kuqhelekile, kuphoswa. Izulu
kwaye ndancokola ngokukhululekileyo, nantso indlela endiya kuba yiyo
iluncedo ngakumbi xa ekugqibeleni ndidibana nomhlaba.
Umthi neentyatyambo ziyakundichukumisa, ndibone.
***
Mirror
Ndiyisilivere kwaye ndichanekile. Ukungakhethi buso.
Kwaye ndibona kangakanani ukuba ndiyisela ngaphandle kokulibazisa
njengokuba injalo, intact yothando okanye inzondo.
Andikhohlakele, ndiyinyani nje:
iliso le-quadrangular lothixo omncinci.
Kwindonga ejongene nayo ndidlulisa ixesha
Ukucamngca: epinki, enamafutha. Kudala ndimjongile
le yinxalenye yentliziyo yam. Kodwa iyahamba.
Ubuso kunye nobumnyama kuyasahlula
ingayeki. Ngoku ndilichibi. Vala
phezu kwam umfazi, funa ukufikelela kwam.
Jika kuloo mibane ingeyonyani
yenyanga. Umqolo wakho ndiyawubona, ngokuthembeka
Ndiyayibonakalisa. Undibhatala ngezinyembezi
kunye nezimbo zomzimba. Uyakhathala. Uyeza ahambe.
Ubuso bakhe ubusuku buya buyela
kusasa. Ndarhaxwa yintombazana ndimdala