David Kapp, Belthorn Estate
Not the norm
Not the norm
says the mother
of 11 year-old
Amr Salie’s journey
author code writer
passionate about
reading and writing
(are we all not)
and he is a chess pro
A book-launch is had
Amr Salie’s Blameless
a thriller it is said
by he who has read
The Hardy Boys Dr Seuss
and Goosebumps too
Not the norm
the everyday
the stereotype
the standard grade of life
(as per protocol and etiquette)
The audience is wide-eyed
(a politician is hawking too)
as Amr’s mother tells tales
of him writing his book
on his dad’s broken phone
(he fixed it we hear)
Not the norm
an inspiration is he
keeping on the straight
and the narrow strait
(though his dad smokes
and now holds the baby)
Not the norm
mothers are urged
parents are urged
to listen and support
(and to nurture too)
which too often
is not the norm
Lansdowne library hosted the launch of Amr Salie’s Blameless, on Saturday October 28.
That’s the right answer
A late-night user
of the local library
and I catch up
I tell him
of an 11 year-old’s
book-launch
at the local
how the audience wide-eyed
listened attentively
to the exploits of Amr Salie
a non-11-year-old 11-year-old
The late-night user
enquires of me
in typical South African
is he black
is he white
is he coloured
is he indian
I tell the fellow
that Amr is a human being
just like the likes of us
no tail or horns-on-head
That’s the right answer
he replies smilingly
not offended
(but probably taken aback)
by my un-South Africanness
by my non-normal non-everyday
tongue-in-cheek response
Not the norm
the stereotype
(as per our official
for-research-purposes-only
forms we meekly fill in)
which is the norm
for far too often
