Left Hand
As sung by those who have experienced miracles.
Legend is told
of one Saint
Francis of Assisi
at the mount
of La Verna
his left hand
blocking the rays
of scorching sun
as he was
approached by an
angelic figure
with visible scars
as if inflicted
by bronze nails
of Jerusalem’s fingers
& there is but
ONE
thing to be
deadly afraid of
the fact that
if even Saints
have transcendent apparitions
appear before them
then what of
humankind in fear
for their lives
Sihle Ntuli is a South African poet based in Durban. Sihle’s work has appeared in a few notable places, including Lolwe, The Rumpus and Johannesburg Review of Books. Sihle also published a chapbook in 2020 called Rumblin’.
Griet van der Meulen was born in 1956 in the province of Mpumalanga, where she has a small gallery in Graskop, mainly to serve as a platform for local artists, who otherwise would not have the opportunity to exhibit their work. She has taken part in many local and overseas exhibitions in Canada and Germany. In 1991 she was awarded the Schweikerdt Prize for excellence in painting. In 2001 the Mpumalanga Government and German Frauen Kunstforum sponsored her for a residency in Dortmund Germany. Griet also lived in Ottawa for four years where she was part of a group of artists called The Women’s Environmental Network. She has taken part in various exhibitions, and her work is on permanent display in the Graskop Gallery.