’n Homesick poem geskryf deur Tasneem Daniels te’wyl sy innie buiteland gewoon’t
Ek verlang narrie Kaap.
Narrie soetgeid en souteragheid van homemade mango achaar,
boeber met vermicelli, karamonk en sneeuwit melk
En my ma se dhal-kerrie.
Ek verlang om Ishmaeel te sien innie pad loep,
sonner skoene en sonner tanne
en vi hom te vra as hy oek vi my mis.
Ek verlang om in ’n taxi te wies warrie gaatjies
hulleself announce met “Mowbray, Kaap!”
ennie musiek wat in jou ore klop.
Ek verlang om in daai taxi te wies
waa djy mense se sweet kan ryk.
Mense wat heeltemal te ha’d wêk vi min geld.
Ek verlang na denningvleis.
Ek sal soema pens en pootjies iet
En ek likes’ie eens pens en pootjies’ie.
Maa soe baie verlang ek!
Ek verlang om koffie te drink
vroeg op ’n Sarrag- of Sondagoggend met koesisters.
En ek wiet djy kan koffie all around the world vind
Maa ek wil koffie drink wat proe soes my huis, sien djy?
Ek verlang narie stilte en beauty van Tafelbêg
wat vi ôs groet wanner ôs oppie N2 ry.
Ek verlang na my huis, my kat, my kamer.
Ek verlang ’n klom nonsens oek
soes mense wat nonsens praat
En ve’velige jokes maak.
Want nou klink’ittie soes nonsens’ie
want ek verlang.
Nie omdat ek unhappy is vi waa ek issie.
Nie omdat ek ungrateful is waa ek issie.
Maa net een kee om op Aladdin se magic carpet te klim,
en wee daai koffie te drink,
en wee my ma se dhal-kerrie te iet …
en wee in daai volle taxi te wies!
Net ’n taste te het aan iets familiar.
Net om wee te remember.
Want … ek verlang.
Tasneem Daniels has a 10-year combined portfolio in media, education, arts and entertainment. Tasneem formed part of the first group of playwrights to take up residence at the Jakes Gerwel Foundation (JGF) Paulet House. Here she wrote Miela’s Box, a show collaboratively produced with the JGF in 2020 that debuted on stage and radio stations nationally. Tasneem’s play lead to a career in TV and radio programming with Suidooster (kykNET), An Nur – The Light (SABC 3), Radio 786 (100.4 FM) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in collaboration with Bush Radio (89.5 FM). Miela’s Box made a comeback on internet radio in 2024 with Cape Flats Radio and Radio Eersteriver. Tasneem also writes for LitNet, and she is writing her first musical after completing the How to Make a Musical Masterclass in 2019 with David Kramer at the Baxter Theatre. Her interests include tracing her Cape Malay / Indonesian roots and using her travel pursuits to develop her creative businesses.
