We Bushmen

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We once migrated across the Kalahari,
We Khwe, ! Kung, Bawairw, we Bushmen,
Sons and daughters of San, rivals to the Khoikhoi,
Named and unnamed by boats from Nederland.

We outlaws, we bandits fought great powers
With the greater powers of Kaggen –
You say “Mantis” – greater than your Son,
For he walks among us, runs with us, still.

We saw you through the eyes of an eland,
Slithered among you as a snake,
Hovered above you as vultures.
You saw us in skins and furs and hooves.

In Bantu, Kaggen showed us Masarwa,
As He did when The First People
Met our Medicine People, dazed protectors,
Who took in the poisons carried in your hands.

You heard your future spoken from a waking sleep.
The wind swirled the sand north and south
As we carried our water in ostrich shells
And the hyenas sprinted from
The chase, the hunt, the kill.

That night we feasted on mongongo and zebra,
Eggs and wild honey.
We offered you flying ants and tortoise,

Sweet berries and marrow from lion's bones.

We made you blankets,
Gave you sticks to deliver water,
Showed you the thirst for roots.
We smoked Makaranga mixed with honey from bees.
You took our dagga for yourselves.
You drank from our waterholes.

When Old !Twi and Young !Twi came to you,
You took their kaross for your own travels
Throughout Kalahari
And left them without digging sticks.

You watched Young !Twi's first kill –
From eland to man;
You saw Old !Twi's Bull Dance
Free her from hunger and thirst;
Then took from her parents
The anointment from the eland's heart.

We showed you the power of ngwa,
Of euphorbia, and snake bite –
And how to smear that power
On your arrows and stalk the steenbok
Swiftly from sun to sun.

We dug pitfalls near the Okavango River
And told you of a time
When the Chobe, the Kwando, and the Zambezi
Flowed across Kalahari into the lowlands

Where the Makgadikgadi Lake has dried.

We bushmen:
We women gathering wood;
We men chasing the hunted for days;
Honor our children.

All you heard were savage tongue-clicks.

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By Brian Padjen

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Brian Padjen is a freelance writer and poet who has published ten books in the past three years, writing across various genres to explore the existential challenges of human existence. His poetry, inspired by historical events and personal observations, has appeared in small press journals over the years. Beyond writing, Brian leads an informal book club, fostering thoughtful discussions and a shared love of literature. With master’s degrees in English Literature and Clinical Psychology, he combines psychological insight with literary artistry, captivating readers and sparking introspection.