Hips, seeds and fractions of beauty

immersed in thorns and leaves

road side 

feeling as though it was at home

amongst the brush 

the  weeds and discarded garbage 

slowly dying 

finding no peace in sun light

no life in water 

no beauty in anything but damage

caused by shoe prints

vomit 

and urine

alley way high life

planted by the wind and rain

braised and worn by the elements

oh but she was found by a gardener

her roots were battered and brittle 

her petals were dry and wilting

unmistakably beautiful

she was planted in a pot in the sun 

her leaves were trimmed and her thorns were pruned

he took great care

she tasted the water and bathed in the sun

no care was spared

her roots grew deep 

her bud grew tall 

until she began to blossom 

and she cried

she cried long and hard

she loved his hands 

his touch and concern

it even felt good when he would cut

removing the wilted parts of her 

this pain was ecstasy

this pain was all she ever wanted

but 

the pot was only so large 

and the window was only so wide

she thought to her self

what more could she ask

so she stopped drinking the water

and stopped loving the sun

because she never imagined she could bloom

she would stay here forever 

this must be freedom

all i ever dreamed and more 

but the Gardener took her out of the pot 

and was pricked by her thorns

and planted her in the garden

and she cried long and hard

he no longer came to her side

with such care just a graze of the water

he poured on the garden

and she cried and tried to hide 

her pain on the inside

but couldn’t help but express

the passion of her pride 

so her roots grew deep

her stem grew tall

before you knew she was a rose bush

with blooms and all

but season did change 

her pedals did fall

like tears of what could have been

she remember it all 

then one day she felt a familiar touch 

a cut and a sheer 

as the gardener cared for her once again

as he picked her hips

and cut her stems

and made a living 

selling fractions of her beauty 

the seeds of her wisdom

the fruit of her struggle

and she cried 

and she cried 

as she smiled

thank you for reading

ourafrica: We are pleased to feature the talented work of illustrator, designer and painter Loyiso Mzike. Loyiso’s portfolio includes dynamic portraits of people throughout Africa. “creating visual art is a talent and gift i have enjoyed all my life. it has evolved into a tool that i use to express my views and ideas. I paint people and paint about people. our complex nature fascinates me and therefore compels me to expressively tell our story. My work is African and celebrates the beauty and wealth running in the veins of her people. its in the subjects eyes, lips, skin tone/texture, dress, hair, that i draw inspiration from. the experience and stories we carry with us are the corner stones from which we mold a new identity. it is the human spirit that i aim to share in my art. ” This is Africa, our Africa
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ourafrica: We are pleased to feature the talented work of illustrator, designer and painter Loyiso Mzike. Loyiso’s portfolio includes dynamic portraits of people throughout Africa. “creating visual art is a talent and gift i have enjoyed all my life. it has evolved into a tool that i use to express my views and ideas. I paint people and paint about people. our complex nature fascinates me and therefore compels me to expressively tell our story. My work is African and celebrates the beauty and wealth running in the veins of her people. its in the subjects eyes, lips, skin tone/texture, dress, hair, that i draw inspiration from. the experience and stories we carry with us are the corner stones from which we mold a new identity. it is the human spirit that i aim to share in my art. ” This is Africa, our Africa
Zoom Info
ourafrica: We are pleased to feature the talented work of illustrator, designer and painter Loyiso Mzike. Loyiso’s portfolio includes dynamic portraits of people throughout Africa. “creating visual art is a talent and gift i have enjoyed all my life. it has evolved into a tool that i use to express my views and ideas. I paint people and paint about people. our complex nature fascinates me and therefore compels me to expressively tell our story. My work is African and celebrates the beauty and wealth running in the veins of her people. its in the subjects eyes, lips, skin tone/texture, dress, hair, that i draw inspiration from. the experience and stories we carry with us are the corner stones from which we mold a new identity. it is the human spirit that i aim to share in my art. ” This is Africa, our Africa
Zoom Info
ourafrica: We are pleased to feature the talented work of illustrator, designer and painter Loyiso Mzike. Loyiso’s portfolio includes dynamic portraits of people throughout Africa. “creating visual art is a talent and gift i have enjoyed all my life. it has evolved into a tool that i use to express my views and ideas. I paint people and paint about people. our complex nature fascinates me and therefore compels me to expressively tell our story. My work is African and celebrates the beauty and wealth running in the veins of her people. its in the subjects eyes, lips, skin tone/texture, dress, hair, that i draw inspiration from. the experience and stories we carry with us are the corner stones from which we mold a new identity. it is the human spirit that i aim to share in my art. ” This is Africa, our Africa
Zoom Info

ourafrica:

We are pleased to feature the talented work of illustrator, designer and painter Loyiso Mzike. Loyiso’s portfolio includes dynamic portraits of people throughout Africa.

“creating visual art is a talent and gift i have enjoyed all my life. it has evolved into a tool that i use to express my views and ideas. I paint people and paint about people. our complex nature fascinates me and therefore compels me to expressively tell our story. My work is African and celebrates the beauty and wealth running in the veins of her people. its in the subjects eyes, lips, skin tone/texture, dress, hair, that i draw inspiration from. the experience and stories we carry with us are the corner stones from which we mold a new identity. it is the human spirit that i aim to share in my art. ”

This is Africa, our Africa

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