Townships and shopping malls

The following poem was written on a visit to Cape Town — the city like a microcosm of the wider world. Global culture and wealth, living next to extreme poverty. People are isolated from each other by security gates, walls, cars, and fear. One day this came into focus, with a visit the massive township of Khayelitsha, and from there to “the southern hemisphere’s largest shopping mall”. The contrast couldn’t have been more disturbing.

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, Forever

One point eight million
living all their tomorrows
in corrugated shacks. A settlement
formalised as township.
Over the wall
we shop beneath golden arches.
Filling eyes, bellies and bags
with todays fads.
Whilst a man
pushes his trolley
through aisles of suburban bins
feasting on our yesterdays.
Blessed are the poor.

By: J.P.Norridge

Filed under: Projects / Poetry & Prose