Thursday 29 October 2026Music, style, culture and power from Southern Africa
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Poetry

A thorn among roses

Maverick Kabelo24 Jan 20231 min read
Three roses in pink and orange with a single sharp, spiked thorn standing out between them, framed in a pale oval

Thorn among roses,
Out of place, out of time,
Silent, alone, I bloom.

Growing among roses,
But never quite fitting in,
My words, like thorns, prick.

A life of fear and doubt,
Laughter and joy foreign,
A thorn in the side.

But still I grow, still I strive,
For one day, acceptance,
To be a rose among thorns.

Written byMaverick KabeloFounder, Digital Thread

Speaker, founder and civic organiser working across Botswana and South Africa on digital strategy, AI, data protection and youth leadership. Founder of Digital Thread and The Civic Chapter; founded Africa’s Very Own in 2018.

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