After the lockdown began
After a week of not leaving home
After the fear and frustration settled in
After my eyes were rested
After they had unseen and unremembered
The constant barrage of bulletins
After I had fought my body
And its pleas to be outside
After the bargaining seized
And one brave toe set foot outside
After the third day of this bravery
And all the streets my feet steered me towards
After I knew again what it felt like
To give in to the quiet longings of my body
To give in to instinct, let my body wander
And feel safe enough to wander after
After watching palm fronds bristle
A knowing descended upon me
I remembered that I am a living thing
Green and greening
I too deserve to frolic
Pauline Buhle Ndhlovu is a Zimbabwean-born Namibian curator and writer whose work explores the themes of land, memory, healing, time, and senescence. She is drawn to visual anthropology as a form of memory-making. Pauline has a degree in anthropology and works in the culture and development sector.
Cover Image: Green And Greening, 2020. © Katherine Hunter.
Katherine Hunter is a Namibian illustrator, graphic designer, and dancer. She is interested in comic book illustration and fantasy fiction. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Visual Communication Design (Illustration) at the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography, her honours degree in illustration, and her master’s degree in art education from Stellenbosch University. Katherine works as a graphic designer and typesetter at HouseFinder Magazine. She has also recently launched her own Namibian art brand, Maan Atelier, which focuses on creating fantasy artwork and stories.