I can’t remember when I stopped singing
When my throat dried up and issued
Only words like coughs
When I fell out of time with life’s rhythm
All I know is that others are dancing
And I am not
I am still in the dips
And whirls of movement
I am the counterpoint to sound
The hum of absolute silence
I am alone in this crowd
Alone in this bed beside you
I am divided in myself
Until there is no one in the mirror
No one that I recognise
And I cannot bring myself to speak
Let alone sing
It is not that I cannot pick up the rhythm
Or that I like this dark corner
It is the weight of this inertia
It is the fear of losing this static shuffle
In a leap
Published by
Troydon
Troydon Wainwright is a philosopher and Reiki Master based in Cape Town. Born with mild cerebral palsy and dyslexia, Toydon learnt to write as a way to overcome the barriers his dyslexia placed in front of him. “I wrote my way out of dyslexia,” said Troydon, “or at least to the point where reading and writing aren’t a problem anymore.”
During the day he works as an educational facilitator (someone who helps special needs students cope academically and become more independent). At night he dedicates his time to writing. He has won a Nova award for his short story, The Sangoma’s Storm, and been a feature poet at the Off the Wall poetry readings in Cape Town and at Cape Town Central Library. Three of his poems were also included in the anthology Africa’s Best New Poets. He has also been published in the South African Literary journal, New Contrast. One of his Facebook posts, in which he took a stand against racism, has gone viral (http://www.troydonwainwright.com/when-love-went-viral/).
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