Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Dambudzo Marechera

Where the Bastard is God?

Where the Bastard is God?

Where the Bastard is God?

One night downtown
I had this breakdown
Not scary like horror
Not boring like nerves
Just this one-night downtown
Breakdown.



Not filthy quiet
Like the death of a whore
Not flesh torn by bicycle chains
Like inner city riots after football
Defeats
Not greasy blinking Loss
Crying into beer cursing the boss
Just this one-night downtown
Breakdown



My mind refused to cuff and kick
Bolted down manholes to licksick laughs
Out of the mess masquerading under my name
The candle of darkness was at midnight pitch
Only black cindersparks where I used to holler
Curses at the dark ghosts of history\'s bicycle
Race
Not sneaking out of her life
Not holding out on her a revolution spin-
ning back-wards
and O just this one-night downtown
Breakdown
Close

Where the Bastard is God?

One night downtown
I had this breakdown
Not scary like horror
Not boring like nerves
Just this one-night downtown
Breakdown.



Not filthy quiet
Like the death of a whore
Not flesh torn by bicycle chains
Like inner city riots after football
Defeats
Not greasy blinking Loss
Crying into beer cursing the boss
Just this one-night downtown
Breakdown



My mind refused to cuff and kick
Bolted down manholes to licksick laughs
Out of the mess masquerading under my name
The candle of darkness was at midnight pitch
Only black cindersparks where I used to holler
Curses at the dark ghosts of history\'s bicycle
Race
Not sneaking out of her life
Not holding out on her a revolution spin-
ning back-wards
and O just this one-night downtown
Breakdown

Where the Bastard is God?

Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère