Nobody dares tell the story,
of the after party
when the alcohol fades in familiar blood
and the prodigal son misses the pigs.
Or the older brother who went apeshit the next day and clobbered him.
Because his returned brother had robbed him of his tribute
to the idol of his dad, which he’d carved taller than the unquestioning tale
that his own father’s tongue had built and hung in his mind
with the detached glue of his illusions.
No one wants the entire story of our origins
to invite vultures to gatecrash our reconciliation,
even at its most reckless.
So we take group photos carefully,
knowing which ones will not draw the attention
of angry dead ancestors inside leaking graves.
Mbonisi Zikhali comes from Makokoba, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. He is a spoken-word artist, story-teller, youth mentor and grassroots community organizer. His stage name is Zomkhonto, which happens to be his bloodline’s totem. He is currently based in Canada.