Some Examples of Silence - Poems by Michael Cope

Lydia Lindeque's Story
(She said that it was all true):

Maybe fifty years ago
in some small town,
in a town-hall made
of wood and iron
     the theatre company
     performs a play
     in Afrikaans.

The whole (white) town
have turned out.
     The mayor and the dominee
     deacons and dignitaries
     line the front row.

The melodrama proceeds.
The audience,
restless and loud
behind the pound seats,
     are new to drama
     on the stage.

A shot is fired
or poison downed:
an actress pitches over
     sideways
          into
the hero's arms.
     He turns quivering
     to the crowd:
               En wat
     moet ek nou maak?

Someone at the back calls out:
Naai haar voor sy koud word!
The act is halted.

     The mayor
     confers with
     the dominee,
addresses the audience
and unforthcoming culprit:
Behave, or no more play,

and the konstabel
is set to stroll
     up and down
     the central aisle.
     swaggering his
     truncheon.

The actors crank it up again.
On stage
     a cup of tea is sipped.
     With pinkie cocked
     the hero muses...
     Wat is darem lekkerder
     as 'n koppie tee?

The konstabel turns
his baton to the crowd:
    As iemand poes sê,
     slat ek hom stukkend.