i
stellenbosch is the kind of place
in which a person could
lose all perspective;
as for myself,
i never had any.
ii
long street is so hectic,
you know? desperate for something,
always; long street was once
a 26, but he doesn’t hijack
now. but
if you have just
twenty rand, or—
and you know the city bleeds.
iii
in the mystery of dunes
on the other side of rondebosch
you can see it
in the flesh of half-dry dams and
veins of castoff zinc.
iv
but somewhere past macassar
the blood becomes wine again
and the trees rise
and the vines go forever
(even though they don’t).
you can ride horses to the sea if you like,
did you know? and there are leopards
in the mountains.
but when you’re in stellenbosch, darling,
how could any other place
exist?
