The Sun Just One Not Two

Most things come in pairs, but not the sun. It is a palm tree, standing erect and alone. I used to sit in the shade in Africa and watch it. I wondered if it was the same sun as in America, where all those singers on the radio came from. I finally ended up in America, and saw the sun. I asked it if my family was still alive and well. I never got an answer.

The sun is conceited because it is extraordinary. It is one of a kind. Delete that. It is the kind. That’s why it doesn’t have a plural. We don’t say there are four suns to correspond with south, north, east, west. The sun is not alone in that exclusive club. There are other phenomena that do not have plural. 

1. We don’t say the mother is feeding her baby from two milks, do we?

2. We don’t say two rains, do we?

3. We don’t call floods many waters, do we?

4. We don’t say two skies, do we?

5. We don’t say I had two sleeps last night, do we?

6. We don’t say I’ve had three loves in my life, do we?

These things are the foundation, walls and roof tiles of existence. That is why they are not plural like two peaches, man and woman, a pride of lions or two cars. On second thought, I should take back my words, because useless things, also do not come in plural. Like dust, hatred and grief.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

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