Submissions by MphoLeteng (Mpho Leteng)
POEMS AND SHORT STORIES
Poet Introduction
Mpho Leteng is a writer/poet/author from Botswana. Born in the rustic settlement of kachikau in early 90s, Leteng’s poetry is marked by a distinctive style that vividly captures the intricacies of human emotion and the nuances of the human condition.
LOVE POEM
Published
21st Apr 2015 2:30pm
21st Apr 2015 2:30pm
To love or not to love
Once I felt the patent feeling acutely too,
A spark within, a flame anew,
Wouldn't deter the impetus will that took me in,
A journey's start, with heart and kin.
Once I was in love in those times of yore,
When passion's fire burned bright and more,
But my portrayal of love has since changed,
A new perspective, rearranged.
So I never been in love, they say,
Though sagely settling I been in love's way,
But yet again in all honesty reconsidering I never been,
For love's a mystery, forever unseen.
Though I felt the...
A spark within, a flame anew,
Wouldn't deter the impetus will that took me in,
A journey's start, with heart and kin.
Once I was in love in those times of yore,
When passion's fire burned bright and more,
But my portrayal of love has since changed,
A new perspective, rearranged.
So I never been in love, they say,
Though sagely settling I been in love's way,
But yet again in all honesty reconsidering I never been,
For love's a mystery, forever unseen.
Though I felt the...
828 reads
0 Comments
UPBEAT INSPIRATIONAL POEM
Published
2nd Dec 2014 9:58am
2nd Dec 2014 9:58am
The black Woman is God
In the unpolished settlement of Kachikau,
I longed to catch a glimpse of God somehow,
Through Christian films and pages of a book,
I searched for signs in every nook,
In people's hearts and rituals devout,
I sought to find what it's all about.
But now, I see God in vibrant hue,
Cloaked in the colors of life anew,
A black woman, divine and true,
Whose shadow nurtured me and grew,
Bathing me in love's pure light,
Washing away the world's dark blight.
With gentle hands and fearless might,
She stood to fight for what is...
I longed to catch a glimpse of God somehow,
Through Christian films and pages of a book,
I searched for signs in every nook,
In people's hearts and rituals devout,
I sought to find what it's all about.
But now, I see God in vibrant hue,
Cloaked in the colors of life anew,
A black woman, divine and true,
Whose shadow nurtured me and grew,
Bathing me in love's pure light,
Washing away the world's dark blight.
With gentle hands and fearless might,
She stood to fight for what is...
776 reads
0 Comments
ANGER POEM
Published
28th Jul 2014 5:59pm
28th Jul 2014 5:59pm
I know not freedom
My soul cries out
For freedom lost, for songs silenced by doubt
In the shadows of man's fair wisdom's grip
My voice fades, unable to let it rip
I have no freedom!
My words wither and dreams grow tense
In cloistered moments, lips parched and dry
Longing for release, a desperate cry
I call upon God, to cleanse the pain within
I pray in the darkness, hoping to begin
A new chapter, a fresh start, to cut the knot
But still, freedom remains a distant spot
I tried purifying my eyes with relic poems of old
Stretching...
For freedom lost, for songs silenced by doubt
In the shadows of man's fair wisdom's grip
My voice fades, unable to let it rip
I have no freedom!
My words wither and dreams grow tense
In cloistered moments, lips parched and dry
Longing for release, a desperate cry
I call upon God, to cleanse the pain within
I pray in the darkness, hoping to begin
A new chapter, a fresh start, to cut the knot
But still, freedom remains a distant spot
I tried purifying my eyes with relic poems of old
Stretching...
625 reads
0 Comments
NON-FICTION PROSE
Published
27th Apr 2014 11:30am
27th Apr 2014 11:30am
With all due disrepect
I stand unapologetically me;
Unafraid to be different, unafraid to be bold,
I stand for the truth for it is gold
I raise my voice; let it be heard
With all due disrespect!
I rise above the fray, unbowed and without dismay,
My spirit unchained and free to soar
Unbound by the mocking, the scorn, the token
I rise with all due disrespect!
In a world that seeks conformity,
I refuse to blend into the crowd,
I proudly stand in my authenticity,
With all due disrespect, I speak loud.
My thoughts unfiltered, my actions...
Unafraid to be different, unafraid to be bold,
I stand for the truth for it is gold
I raise my voice; let it be heard
With all due disrespect!
I rise above the fray, unbowed and without dismay,
My spirit unchained and free to soar
Unbound by the mocking, the scorn, the token
I rise with all due disrespect!
In a world that seeks conformity,
I refuse to blend into the crowd,
I proudly stand in my authenticity,
With all due disrespect, I speak loud.
My thoughts unfiltered, my actions...
638 reads
0 Comments
OBSERVATIONAL POEM
Published
9th Apr 2014 1:23pm
9th Apr 2014 1:23pm
Rest Peacefully O Dear Friend
(In loving memory of Thokozile)
A shadow fell, heavy and sudden, upon our quiet reflections,
Breaking the calm with an ache too profound to ignore.
It seeped into the deep recesses of our thoughts,
The weight of loss pressing hard upon our hearts.
Once a shining presence, the pleasantest among women,
Her radiant gates are now closed to us—
We may no longer see her face.
We loved her deeply, but the Divine loved her more,
And now, what He once gave, He has gently reclaimed.
Too soon, far too soon, she has departed,
Leaving us...
A shadow fell, heavy and sudden, upon our quiet reflections,
Breaking the calm with an ache too profound to ignore.
It seeped into the deep recesses of our thoughts,
The weight of loss pressing hard upon our hearts.
Once a shining presence, the pleasantest among women,
Her radiant gates are now closed to us—
We may no longer see her face.
We loved her deeply, but the Divine loved her more,
And now, what He once gave, He has gently reclaimed.
Too soon, far too soon, she has departed,
Leaving us...
601 reads
0 Comments
STORY POEM
Published
28th Mar 2014 12:13pm
28th Mar 2014 12:13pm
On my first call to ingratiate myself with the poets
As morning's veil did lift its gentle hand
On my first call to ingratiate with the land
I fathered that night to dawn's early stand
And hit the roadway, where my journey's plan
Did unfold like a map, with twists and turns so grand
If I remember well, Kachikau did wave his hand
H hazily, with a wry grin, a gesture so bland
I paused for a moment, twiddling thumbs of my hand
Chaffed by the wind, my heart did take its stand
I looked at this dehydrated home village of mine
Eyes bursting with pathos, a tale so divine
In some odd sense, that...
On my first call to ingratiate with the land
I fathered that night to dawn's early stand
And hit the roadway, where my journey's plan
Did unfold like a map, with twists and turns so grand
If I remember well, Kachikau did wave his hand
H hazily, with a wry grin, a gesture so bland
I paused for a moment, twiddling thumbs of my hand
Chaffed by the wind, my heart did take its stand
I looked at this dehydrated home village of mine
Eyes bursting with pathos, a tale so divine
In some odd sense, that...
661 reads
2 Comments
OBSERVATIONAL POEM
Published
24th Mar 2014 11:35am
24th Mar 2014 11:35am
I search for me
I wander, lost, with heart astray
Seeking the truth, the self I've known
Through paths that wind, where darkness is sown
The forgotten shelf, where memories sleep
Echoes of the past, in whispers creep
The footsteps I've taken, where do they lead?
Through labyrinths of thought, where doubts proceed
In the mirror's gaze, I search for a face
A reflection of truth, in a uncertain place
Is that the me, who stands before my eyes?
Or just a shadow, of a distant surprise?
The pages of my past, like autumn leaves
Crisp and...
Seeking the truth, the self I've known
Through paths that wind, where darkness is sown
The forgotten shelf, where memories sleep
Echoes of the past, in whispers creep
The footsteps I've taken, where do they lead?
Through labyrinths of thought, where doubts proceed
In the mirror's gaze, I search for a face
A reflection of truth, in a uncertain place
Is that the me, who stands before my eyes?
Or just a shadow, of a distant surprise?
The pages of my past, like autumn leaves
Crisp and...
727 reads
1 Comment
MISCELLANEOUS POEM
Published
4th Oct 2013 8:27am
4th Oct 2013 8:27am
Forgive me
Forgive me for forgiving myself on your behalf,
For granting a pardon you may never give.
Forgive yourselves, too, for facing life
In a direction opposite mine—for we are all travelers,
Wandering paths shaped by time.
It is only a matter of time,
A matter of time before weariness claims me,
Before that fleeting, silent lassitude falls,
And I reach for the hand of the boy I used to be.
Together, we will walk away—
Not in retreat, but in a quiet reconciliation.
I lost all I had to give,
And so, I leave you with this:
A plea, raw...
For granting a pardon you may never give.
Forgive yourselves, too, for facing life
In a direction opposite mine—for we are all travelers,
Wandering paths shaped by time.
It is only a matter of time,
A matter of time before weariness claims me,
Before that fleeting, silent lassitude falls,
And I reach for the hand of the boy I used to be.
Together, we will walk away—
Not in retreat, but in a quiet reconciliation.
I lost all I had to give,
And so, I leave you with this:
A plea, raw...
676 reads
0 Comments
OBSERVATIONAL POEM
Published
4th Oct 2013 8:14am
4th Oct 2013 8:14am
We are here
We know you long for that comforting embrace,
The silent echoes of your pleas strike where it aches most.
Yet we cradle your wailing hearts within our infinite cores,
For we are here because you are there.
We hurt when you hurt.
We cry when you cry.
Our ears are attuned to the sound of your clanging bells;
We are here to embrace you with unyielding love,
To save you, to uplift you, to kindle hope—
Because we hurt when you hurt.
We cry when you cry.
We are here to sing lullabies to your restless minds,
To stand by you,...
The silent echoes of your pleas strike where it aches most.
Yet we cradle your wailing hearts within our infinite cores,
For we are here because you are there.
We hurt when you hurt.
We cry when you cry.
Our ears are attuned to the sound of your clanging bells;
We are here to embrace you with unyielding love,
To save you, to uplift you, to kindle hope—
Because we hurt when you hurt.
We cry when you cry.
We are here to sing lullabies to your restless minds,
To stand by you,...
594 reads
2 Comments
DARK POEM
Published
9th Aug 2013 10:48am
9th Aug 2013 10:48am
Mourning light in shared despair
We laid hands on your empty corpse
We stretched hands to touch your soul
We cried sympathetically looking through your grave
We cursed the provocation that sounded your death knell
But again we are here and mourning
Crying for our beloved friend
In the depths of sorrow, we find solace
In the darkness, we seek the light
The memories of you linger in our hearts
A reminder of a life once bright
A fate worse than death, a loss profound
But in our grief, we are bound
Bound by love and shared despair
Bound by the memories...
We stretched hands to touch your soul
We cried sympathetically looking through your grave
We cursed the provocation that sounded your death knell
But again we are here and mourning
Crying for our beloved friend
In the depths of sorrow, we find solace
In the darkness, we seek the light
The memories of you linger in our hearts
A reminder of a life once bright
A fate worse than death, a loss profound
But in our grief, we are bound
Bound by love and shared despair
Bound by the memories...
634 reads
0 Comments
MISCELLANEOUS POEM
Published
3rd May 2013 8:40am
3rd May 2013 8:40am
When my worlds find me
Amidst the harrowing wakes of time,
Busy lifing myself to age,
I acknowledge the stage I've reached.
Thirsty and raddled, soulless yet gleaming,
Mind weaving through life's broken lines,
Don't pester me as I navigate
The depths of my own unread mind.
In the shadows of uncertainty,
I search for fragments of truth,
Lost in the dance of existence,
A solitary figure in the vast expanse.
When my worlds find me,
I'd embrace the chaos and the calm,
For in the tangled threads of fate,
I find the essence of my...
Busy lifing myself to age,
I acknowledge the stage I've reached.
Thirsty and raddled, soulless yet gleaming,
Mind weaving through life's broken lines,
Don't pester me as I navigate
The depths of my own unread mind.
In the shadows of uncertainty,
I search for fragments of truth,
Lost in the dance of existence,
A solitary figure in the vast expanse.
When my worlds find me,
I'd embrace the chaos and the calm,
For in the tangled threads of fate,
I find the essence of my...
647 reads
0 Comments
MISCELLANEOUS POEM
Published
3rd May 2013 8:35am
3rd May 2013 8:35am
Lodging in old kazungula
As the wind flagellates heavily,
I catch the scent of cigarette smoke,
a familiar plunge—
greased lightning before my nostrils,
whirling memories of laughter,
of twilight conversations,
in the heart of old Kazungula.
With a beer in hand,
the world softens,
a passive embrace
wrapped in the night’s gentle arms—
the aroma of hand-rolled cigarettes,
a neighborhood chorus,
whispers of stories,
smoke curling like dreams.
The sun softly petering out,
its golden...
I catch the scent of cigarette smoke,
a familiar plunge—
greased lightning before my nostrils,
whirling memories of laughter,
of twilight conversations,
in the heart of old Kazungula.
With a beer in hand,
the world softens,
a passive embrace
wrapped in the night’s gentle arms—
the aroma of hand-rolled cigarettes,
a neighborhood chorus,
whispers of stories,
smoke curling like dreams.
The sun softly petering out,
its golden...
#travel
658 reads
0 Comments
DU Poetry : Submissions by MphoLeteng (Mpho Leteng)
