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.
the remnants of Leteng
We refuse to be silenced, to be tamed
For in our defiance, we reclaim our flame
So let them try to bury us in the grave of their making
We will rise, we will shine, our strength unbreaking
Our spirits will soar, unchained and free,
Defying the shackles of fate's decree,
With courage as our guiding light,
We ruse from darkness into the bright.
In unity, we stand, unyielding and strong,
Our voices echoing a triumphant song,
For in the depths of despair, we find a way,
To break free from the night and greet the day
...
For in our defiance, we reclaim our flame
So let them try to bury us in the grave of their making
We will rise, we will shine, our strength unbreaking
Our spirits will soar, unchained and free,
Defying the shackles of fate's decree,
With courage as our guiding light,
We ruse from darkness into the bright.
In unity, we stand, unyielding and strong,
Our voices echoing a triumphant song,
For in the depths of despair, we find a way,
To break free from the night and greet the day
...
551 reads
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When will the rain come
Written by Mpho Leteng(Botswana), Donald Kuutsi(Zimbabwe) and Blessing Masora(Zimbabwe)
Mountains stand like sentinels,
guardians of secrets whispered in the wind,
the baobab trees hold tales in their gnarled arms,
ancient stories of drought and survival,
while the sun beats down, relentless,
a fiery orb, demanding tribute
from the weary soil.
Children run after shadows,
their laughter mingling with the dust,
tiny feet chasing dreams
that swirl like the dust devils,
as mothers gather water,
from wells too...
Mountains stand like sentinels,
guardians of secrets whispered in the wind,
the baobab trees hold tales in their gnarled arms,
ancient stories of drought and survival,
while the sun beats down, relentless,
a fiery orb, demanding tribute
from the weary soil.
Children run after shadows,
their laughter mingling with the dust,
tiny feet chasing dreams
that swirl like the dust devils,
as mothers gather water,
from wells too...
648 reads
0 Comments
Welcome to shamukuni street
Welcome to Shamukuni Street,
Where the city breathes in vibrant chaos,
Police sirens whirling,
A symphony of urgency and defiance—
Each wail a reminder,
That life here never sleeps,
And neither do we.
Every household boasts a loudspeaker,
Its voice a pulse,
A rhythm echoing through the cracked pavement,
Where laughter and music collide,
Like potluck dinners on a Friday night,
Where stories spill over, and dreams take flight.
The shabeens stand tall, defiant against the clock,
Never closing, they’re...
Where the city breathes in vibrant chaos,
Police sirens whirling,
A symphony of urgency and defiance—
Each wail a reminder,
That life here never sleeps,
And neither do we.
Every household boasts a loudspeaker,
Its voice a pulse,
A rhythm echoing through the cracked pavement,
Where laughter and music collide,
Like potluck dinners on a Friday night,
Where stories spill over, and dreams take flight.
The shabeens stand tall, defiant against the clock,
Never closing, they’re...
632 reads
0 Comments
A forgotten place
This forgotten land whispers tales of old,
Echoes of struggles, triumphs, and stories untold,
In the shadows of history, it quietly weeps,
A place where the past forever sleeps.
The Barannqwe's gentle flow, a melancholy sigh,
As dead cattle lie, and abandoned graveyards gleam by,
Unaccomplished forefathers' dreams linger in the air,
Dinalanyana, Matomporo, and Sandweza's despair.
Khuting, Mpenteke, and Kobonngo gums stand tall and strong,
Watchful sentinels, guarding Kachikau's partly bare grounds all day long,
Mampimpinyane's...
Echoes of struggles, triumphs, and stories untold,
In the shadows of history, it quietly weeps,
A place where the past forever sleeps.
The Barannqwe's gentle flow, a melancholy sigh,
As dead cattle lie, and abandoned graveyards gleam by,
Unaccomplished forefathers' dreams linger in the air,
Dinalanyana, Matomporo, and Sandweza's despair.
Khuting, Mpenteke, and Kobonngo gums stand tall and strong,
Watchful sentinels, guarding Kachikau's partly bare grounds all day long,
Mampimpinyane's...
589 reads
0 Comments
Echoes of a phantom love
In the whirlwind of your presence,
I was spun through the mangle of your gaze,
Interrogated by your grilling smiles
Each question a probing dagger in my mind.
And when you turned to walk away,
My heart hung heavy with the weight of a green willow,
Its branches reaching out in sorrow
For the love that nearly took root within me.
I poured my soul into the cup of your being,
Almost loved you beyond the bounds of reason,
But you slipped through my fingers like sand,
Leaving me to drown in a vale of tears.
I...
I was spun through the mangle of your gaze,
Interrogated by your grilling smiles
Each question a probing dagger in my mind.
And when you turned to walk away,
My heart hung heavy with the weight of a green willow,
Its branches reaching out in sorrow
For the love that nearly took root within me.
I poured my soul into the cup of your being,
Almost loved you beyond the bounds of reason,
But you slipped through my fingers like sand,
Leaving me to drown in a vale of tears.
I...
726 reads
1 Comment
DU Poetry : Submissions by MphoLeteng (Mpho Leteng)