New Poetry by Abigail George

The Psychologist

Her kids are American. In pictures

they draw in kindergarten

they have spaghetti meatballs

for heads. Her life is Americana.

She speaks with an accent.

On the phone in clipped American

tones. Saying ‘yeah’ at the end

of her sentences. By now she

probably believes in thanksgiving,

turkey and reality television.

She does not read Bessie Head, 

Joyce Carol Oates, Lauren Beukes.

Andre Brink. I don’t think she’s

ever heard of Ingrid Jonker.

Perhaps my cousin did a poem of hers placed

in the curriculum in matric. That love affair

inspired me. I wanted to write like him.

Poems like Ingrid Jonker.

All the psychologist wants is to talk.

For me to talk about me. 

The sad, lyrical, beautiful diagnosis.

And that is the last thing I want.

- © Abigail George 2022

South African Abigail George has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize ("Wash Away My Sins"), and Best of the Net awards for her poetry and an essay. She is a blogger, lyricist, editor, filmmaker, playwright, poet, essayist, chapbook, novelist, novella, grant, and short story writer. She briefly studied film at NFTS (Newtown Film and Television School) in Johannesburg. She was educated in Port Elizabeth, and Swaziland. She is the Contributing Editor for African Writer, and an editor at Mwanaka Media and Publishing. She writes op-ed pieces for local newspapers, and has written columns for national travel magazine. Her latest books are "The Scholarship Girl: Life Writing", "Parks and Recreation", "Of Smoke Flesh and Bone: Poems Against Depression" (Mwanaka Media and Publishing), and "Anatomy of Melancholy" (Praxis), a chapbook which was released in 2020. Her latest book is Letter to Petya Dubarova released by Gazebo Books (Australia). Her publishers are Tendai Rinos Mwanaka, Xavier Hennekinne and Roxana Nastase.