Poetry

Engelbrecht decides on an assassination attempt,
to peep through the sight of a .308 hunting rifle
at the new black President
and some of his best friends are sworn to silence.

With a violin-case in his hand
he visits the hotel
just beyond the Union Buildings;
about the wind direction and line of sight he has to be sure.

Through the telescopic sight he sees a whole crowd waiting
and he pushes a dum-dum round into the barrel,
open the window much wider
while he watches the scene beneath him.

One of his friends speaks far too much
and more information
are forced from him with shocking apparatus
while the secret police makes him talk.

When the security police enter the hotel
a shot somewhere above them is being fired
and they are surprised,
as the President has not yet arrived at the Union Buildings

and they find Engelbrecht with his head
blown from his body
with a note covered in blood
that tells them

to go to hell
and he says that he has departed to another country
where Afrikaners have got rights
and although he is standing guilty before the throne of God,
He will understand on the other side.

[Reference: “Staatsgreep” (Coup d’etat) by Johan van Wyk.]