Sometimes When It Rains by Gcina Mhlophe

A beautiful poem from the South African poet, storyteller and activist Gcina Mhlophe.

Sometimes When It Rains by Gcina Mhlophe

Sometimes when it rains

I smile to myself

And think of times when as a child

I’d sit by myself

And wonder why people need clothes

Sometimes when it rains

I think of times

When I’d run into the rain

Shouting ‘Nkce—nkce mlanjana

When will I grow

I’ll grow up tomorrow

Sometimes when it rains

I think of times

When I watched goats

Running so fast from the rain

While sheep seemed to enjoy it

Sometimes when it rains

I think of times

When we had to undress

Carry the small bundles of uniforms and books

On our heads

And cross the river after school

Sometimes when it rains

I remember times

When it would rain hard for hours

And fill our drum

So we didn’t have to fetch water

From the river for a day or two

Sometimes when it rains

Rains for many hours without break

I think of people

Who have nowhere to go

No home of their own

And food to eat

Only rain water to drink

Sometimes when it rains

Rains for days without break

I think of mothers

Who give birth in squatter camps

Under plastic shelters

At the mercy of cold angry winds

Sometimes when it rains

I think of ‘illegal’ job seekers

In big cities

Dodging police vans in the rain

Hoping for darkness to come

So they can find some wet corner to hide in

Sometimes when it rains

Rains so hard hail joins in

I think of life prisoners

In all the jails of the world

And wonder if they still love

To see the rainbow at the end of the rain

Sometimes when it rains

With hail stones biting the grass

I can’t help thinking they look like teeth

Many teeth of smiling friends

Then I wish that everyone else

Had something to smile about