My Language

The Afrikaans poem you can see here, is my first officially published piece of work. It's about my mother tongue, Afrikaans, that is being threatened by EFF members. I wrote it after I was caught in the crossfire between #Afrikaansmustfall and #afrikaanswillstay protesters. I was traumatised and angry because my educational opportunities are being threatened for no good reason.

Jy kan probeer om dit uit my nuusbriewe, vraestelle, handboeke en universiteit te haal, maar jy sal dit nie uit my uit kry nie.
My Taal.

Ek sal stil wees, maar ek sal nooit ophou praat nie.
Ek is 'n Afrikaan en ek sal nie jammer wees oor my velkleur of my voorvaders nie.

Baklei, sing, dans en verniel. Afrikaans word nie bang nie.
Brand my geboue af, My taal brand nie.
Beledig my, My taal gee nie om wat jy sê nie.
Kom met jou pangas en jou stokke, Afrikaans bloei nie.
Herinner my aan apartheid, ons weet. Afrikaans is NIE apartheid nie.

Afrikaans is braai, boerewors, koeksusters en Van-Der-Merwe-grappies.
Afrikaans is die gevoel wanneer 'n gedig vir jou hoendervel gee. Afrikaans is in my vreugde en my hartseer. Afrikaans is in ons. Ek sal nie lê nie. Ek sal staan vir Afrikaans.
Dit is wie ek is.
My Taal.
Botti

I have written an English interpretation of things as well.
My language is Afrikaans
Yet I choose to speak to you in English. English so that you cannot get lost in translation. English so that you will not strike against my words. English so that I can say I tried.

How dare you intimidate me on our campus, how dare you disrupt our classes, how dare you think that your demands and your requests are more important than that of the rest of us.

Tell me, does my language torture you? Does it throw bricks at you, hit you with sticks? Does the sound or thought of it, give you a fit?

Does it take away your rights? Does it attack you with fights? Is it my language? Or is it my race? Is it my words or is it my face? 11 official languages, yet you must attack mine, all developed through colonised times.

Do not dare blame me for my ancestors ways, I was not there, it was not my phase. Afrikaans will stay right in my heart, even if you hate it or me, we will ALWAYS take part.

Let's be honest comrade(am I allowed to say that?) or friend, your dispute with me, with us, will never truly end.
Botti

I would just like to add that I am in no way insinuating that all non-Afrikaans speaking people behave like this, this poem is directed at the individuals I am seeing in the videos, and photos disrupting academic activities. The individuals who are injuring innocent bystanders. I have no respect for you or your cause because you have no respect for mine.

If your mother tongue was under attack you would fight back too.