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Are you free, from hunger?
From the cold?
Are you free, from the looks of others?
Who – still, want to classify you into apartheid’s categories?
In the name of research, on official forms, in triplicate, with a black pen,
with your right hand and not your subversive-left.
Are you free, from the stereotype
people paint you into?
Visions, tele-visions
Are you free,
from your own little box
(your little soap box)
in the corner of your mind?
Are you free, from yourself?
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Writer Profile
David Kapp
Who is this David Kapp
David Kapp is left-handed. He has been so for a while now. Born in Claremont, South Africa, long ago. Did a bit of primary school there. Moved to Belthorn Estate, Crawford in the nasty sixties of apartheid’s Group Areas Act, when his hair was still black. Belthorn, at some point, had an ‘e’ at its rear end.
Mom is an English teacher-activist, now retired; and is responsible for my book-wormish little habit of correcting folks’ grammar. Dad is a socialist trade unionist, now retired; and is probably responsible for my questioning everything questionable on this particular planet. My height – upwards, not sideways like certain of our politrickians – is due to my plumber granddad, my mom’s dad, with whom I share a birth date (of long ago!). My mom’s mom was English, in her ways.
School consisted of peanut butter sandwiches and football and stuff, at Heatherdale Primary (1967), Belthorn Primary (1968-1970), Athlone High (1971-1973) and Oaklands High (1974-1975) – I suddenly forget the school I attended in Claremont. Can I get amnesty for this? Drifted from Athlone High to Oaklands ‘cos he could not imagine doing Woodwork and / or Latin (there or anywhere) until matriculation. Nothing personal, you gather.
Worked as a computer operator, did lots of nightshift and plotting against the apartheid state.
Studied Adult Education at the Centre for Adult and Continuing Education (CACE), University of the Western Cape (UWC), 1989-1991, and worked at the Centre for about 7 years. Hair started changing colour. Hair also started getting bigger.
Later worked at a gender-training unit, GETNET, just over Athlone bridge, on the Cape Flats; the career centre CRIC in Kewtown, Cape Flats, and at a youth development NGO called RAG (Resource Action Group), all as a computer literacy trainer and a wannabee alternative lifeskills hack. Hair still big.
Realized – light-bulb style – in the main, whilst staying out yonder in the religiously and politically conservative, non-English territory of Beverley Park, First River (1989-2009) out in the Northern Suburbs, that “reading is the key”. Helped youngsters a bit out there with their reading, and was a “resource” and “safe space” for them to do their homework / school projects. Got myself involved as a Reading Helper / Volunteer, in 2008 (based at Athlone's Alicedale Primary School) with the NGO Help2Read.
Started writing in non-rhyming short sentences at a GETNET Gender Conference in December 2003 or thereabouts, with the naughty theories of Italian communist Antonio Gramsci humming in his ears courtesy of one comrade Ebrahim Rassool (who did an address around and about “seizing the moment”, Gramsci-style).
Thanks to this wondrous thing called the internet, I have continued to irritate and bore people here and elsewhere to this day, in a non-rhyming sort-of way.
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Comments
Your AWESOME Writer Profile Jeff Clemens | May 16th, 2011
Your profile is the best "About Me" I have read. Ever.
great art kapp simon naula | Jan 21st, 2012
i am simon frm kenya. i would be lying if i dont express my envy in your writing.surely, i dont mind abit of hints on how to acquire the same
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