Of this book, Bheki Pieterson wrote:
"An astounding anthology with a poetic vision that is incisive, textured and big-hearted in its treatment of the intimacies and intricacies that link the past and the present, the personal and the political. The writing is taut and brimming with evocative cadences that recall rites and rights of passage that range from street corners, the whispers of yearning lovers to the bruised but resolute mantras that will activists to insist on a compassionate and equitable world. The poems, in reading, achieve a collective coherence and visceral power because of Meintjies’ mature perspective and his sensuous and lyrical writing."
"I read a poem by a South African poet Frank Meintjies yesterday that gave me a haunting sense of where many of those I taught on Wednesday were at. There were 13 folks listening intently as I shared the hope we have in Christ and how this transforms ones living. All of them HIV/AIDS clients at Masibumbane mission. They were all on my mind when I read this poem. I will just quote it in parts as I don't think it is legit to copy it all:
' on better days/my rainbow is your smile/more frequently, my rainbow bleeds..../my rainbow's sharp edges/cut/as i try to pick it up ... deep patterning/its marks/ on the palm of my heart/my rainbow is a purple bruise/ slowy/sluggishly regaining/the colour of living flesh'
Poet, lifelong activist and community leader, Don Mattera, passed away recently (18 July 2022). He was a towering figure, making his mark as a journalist, a clarion voice for justice, black consciousness leader and a master of the word. Mattera's most powerful works are Memory is a Weapon (memoir) and Azanian Love Song (poetry).
Here are my reflections on Mattera's poetry: https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times-daily/opinion-and-analysis/2022-07-22-frank-meintjies-don-mattera-constantly-shuffled-the-deck-between-anger-and-compassion/.
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