by Diane Elayne Dees
Ribbon-bright yellows, reds and greens
swirl the fields from Cape Town
to Polokwane, the screams of fans
carried by wind all the way to KwaThema.
There, Eudy Simelane lies silent.
No stars for her crest, no stampede
of admirers. No longer will teammates
lift her above the field and carry her
through a frenzy of celebration.
Those who raped and murdered Eudy,
empowered by a government as silent
as her grave, make every day
a day of fear for sportswomen.
The uniforms are vibrant, the stadiums
shiny and new. Television cameras
capture passion, flags and sweat,
while--not far from the gates of Soccer City--
colors fade, lights dim, the screaming stops,
and Eudy Simelane lies silent forever.
Diane Elayne Dees is a writer whose political poetry has appeared in several publications. Diane also publishes Women Who Serve, a blog about women's professional tennis.
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