This poem was written by a terminally young girl in Kennedy road shack settlement.

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever
watched kids

At the Jondolo?

Or listened to
the poor people

Struggling for their rights?

Ever followed those people
Who came to let the

Movement down

Or gazed at the sun into the fading

Night?

You better slow down.

Don’t dance so
fast.

Time is short.

The movement will
last.

Do you run through each day

On the
fly?

When you ask where is our houses?

Do you hear the
reply?

When the day is done

Do you wake up in your
bed

With the next hundred of Abahlali

Running through
the world 4 better housing?

You’d better slow down

Don’t dance so
fast.

Time is short.

The movement will
last.

Ever told your child,

They will do it
tomorrow?

And in their haste,

Not see
our

sorrow?

Ever lost touch,

Let a good
friendship die

Cause you never had time

To call
and say,’Hi’

You’d better slow down.

Don’t dance
so fast.

Time is short.

The movement will
last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere

You
miss half of your rights in your struggle.

When you worry and hurry
through your day,

It is like an unopened
gift….

Thrown away.

Struggle of the poor is not a
race.

Do take it slower

Hear the
poor

Before the hope is over.

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