Delightful Pain

Back at work after Easter break
Thokozile sighs, not ready yet and
I laugh, glad to be back, searching for
Information and enjoying my lovely
snow queen work station

I explain my theory of the privilege we
have to complain while we’re sure of a
job never having to wake up in the pain
of unemployment or feeling hungry unless
we’re dieting of course – a self-inflicted
suffering making us virtuous paragons
of sacrifice for comely appearance

I tell her we even have all the security guards
to talk to when we’re lonely, that we ENJOY
complaining about imaginary deprivation -
we cheerfully accept the responsibility for
enunciating about so-called difficulties
and she agrees, it IS fun to be here

Dr Joyce and Winston both admonish me to
publish one day, but I explain a publisher must
make a profit to make it a viable proposition – they
don’t understand because all their writings in an
African language are published immediately as
part a project to promote these, I smile, for

Me - writing is about freedom of expression and
leaving a legacy, hoping someday people might
read about the Department of Arts and Culture
where we forged a new way of life and sought
the way forward in post-apartheid South Africa

I send information about the new Dutch singing
sensation to all my colleagues and enjoy their
surprise when learning this little girl with South
African roots sings like Maria Callas –

What a wonderful day - to be alive in the office
to enjoy some more delightful pain…

[Tuesday 22 April 2014]

[ORIGINAL:]

Diary Notes: Happy Suffering
Back at work after Easter break
my colleague sighs she’s not ready yet
I laugh because I’m glad to be back
searching for information and enjoying
my lovely snow queen work station

I explain my theory of the privilege we
have to complain while we’re sure of a
job and never have to wake up in the
pain of unemployment or feeling hungry
unless we’re dieting of course – which is
another self-inflicted suffering for the
privileged which makes us into virtuous
paragons of sacrifice for appearance

I tell Thokozile that we even have all the
security guards to talk to when we’re lonely,
that we ENJOY complaining about imaginary
deprivations, that we cheerfully accept the
responsibility for enunciating about so-called
difficulties and she agrees, it IS fun to be here
in the office – then I meet Dr Joyce and Winston
 
Both admonishing me to publish one day, I explain
a publisher must make a profit to make it a viable 
proposition – they don’t understand at all because their
writings in African languages are published as part
of a project to promote these  - I smile, for me writing
 
is about enjoying freedom of expression and leaving
a legacy, hoping someday people might read about
the Department of Arts and Culture where we forged
a new way of life and sought the way forward - then

I send information about the new Dutch singing
sensation to all my colleagues and enjoy their
surprise about a little girl with South African
roots singing like Maria Callas –

What a wonderful day to be alive in the office to
enjoy some more happy suffering…

[Tuesday 22 April 2014]