Author Archives: Shubnum Khan
For Her
Once upon a time there was a girl. I loved this girl, I did. She was filled with love and energy and happiness and she passed it on like a gift. I admired everything about her, her grace, her enthusiasm and her passion. She had a big heart. I mean, […]
Overheard Conversation
Around the lunch table, one rainy afternoon: N (11) to A (8): I’m going to make a card for Nelson Mandela. Because he’s sick. A: Who is Nelson Mandela? N: Oh God. Don’t you know what apartheid was? A: No. N: Okay, see a long time ago. There were San […]
The Walking Tweets
Thank you to @Ganeshdhamodkar for collecting all my tweets on walking into one piece. Mostly, you have to forgive yourself. Whoever you are. Wherever you are. The world is waiting for you to start walking. Take walks in streets and on fields, in rivers and on farms, over mountains and inside cities, […]
Lines in the Landscape (The Big Issue magazine)
A few nights ago I was walking along Durban’s beachfront promenade with a group of friends. We were reminiscing about the annual surfing event; the Gunston July, a highlight on our then teenage social calendar, recalling how we prepared our outfits months before hand so that we could walk along […]
The Lost Mail
I was promised an email 2 days ago, 15 days ago, 24 days ago, 1 month ago, The days are longer now, the rain still sits in the ground, even though it’s November now People complain it rains too much I drive long stretches of road, some stop to tell […]
The Secret-Keeper
She was approached with just a needle for her lips. ‘Unbelievable,’ Is all she says. (But what is believable anymore anyway) (image: http://weheartit.com/entry/43176142/via/Ryuuka)
Desperately Seeking Faith in Humanity
Where are all the real people in the world? Real people with real words. When did we empty words of their meaning? When did words lose value? When did they become as worthless as Chinese toys – to be used and thrown away quickly? To be replaced by other fresh […]
The Junk in the Basement
image: http://whrt.it/WLm3X0 Just junk. The years are junk. Surely they must be. All these useless parts and broken springs, and leaking cans and torn sheets and, damaged things, accumulating, growing in the dark damp corners. In spaces I cannot fit in anymore, in spaces I cannot breathe in anymore. There’s […]
Speaking Out (Sunday Tribune Column)
Some weeks ago I was robbed at the university where I teach. Someone walked into my office while I stood in the hallway and walked away with my handbag in his backpack. When I realised what had happened and confronted him, he grabbed me, pushed me into a wall and […]
