Shades Of Romance

About the Book

The books depicts a life lived in loneliness forced by circumstances beyond two people deeply in love with each other. In one of the unpleasant days of being alone, the author was driving on the highway between the City of Tshwane and Johannesburg in South Africa, when he noticed that he was crying deeply inside. When he stopped the car to get details of the cause, he realized that he was missing his family that he had not seen for three months, dearly.

This was an occurrence that was forced to him by people in his former employment who ensured that his standard of living was reduced to levels where he would not cope with maintaining two households so that he should as a consequence, opt for voluntary resignation. It is only when his daughter got five distinctions in grade 12 and had to go to University that the author finally threw in the towel and resigned from his employment after thirteen years of diligent service.

The book picks up a rollercoaster of feelings that were beginning to threaten the state of his health due to working far away from his loved ones. There was a time when he was transferred to another location which meant that he had to travel around three destinations that were his head office, area of work and his family. This led into an emergence of thoughts that made him reflect in his book titled “SHADES OF ROMAMCE”. A synopsis of the book is as follows:

A hungry hunger: A justifiable emphasis of the magnitude of thoughts that limit the soul from getting the food it needs for survival. Reflects an expression of deep and hastened hunger.

A kiss before a kiss: A clear illustration of kisses that would invade the mind of the distanced partner and eventually swallow thoughts of absence.

Addictive you are: The imagery used is quite scintillating and takes the reader to formatting imagines of the world still to be discovered.

Beauty knockout punch: Depicts praise, acknowledgement and honest confessions of beauty, betrayal and a future well cushioned.

Beauty love praise: A simple praise of beauty that excites and is revered by those watching.

Beauty unimagined: A reference to beauty of the admirer not initially recognized.

Chances misses: Everyday that passes is an opportunity for change that should be grabbed in an instant.

Envelope of your love: The metaphor used to describe the emergence, origin, escape and healing effect of love is quite remarkable.

Feeling amazing: Either this shows dangers of a love crush for a person in the space of your work environment who might get one in trouble or mellow to what is felt for her.

Happy birthday my angel “A”: Puts emphasis to a day that brought the two lovers together. Had it not happened, he would not be celebrating the day she was born.

I miss you: Such an enchanting poem

I wait: Full of hope- It is a display of the power of optimism to conquer adversity. A tone of vision

Inside me: Full of passion – The strong images leave a powerful impression

Love: impressionable use of metaphors to describe love

Love innocence: Emotionally charged and filled with negative imagery. The rhythm and tempo of the poem emphasizes the urgency it contains

Love intimace: Love evokes feelings of warmth and peace

Matrimony of our lips: There is something magical about the images created in this poem. It’s filled with fantasy and metaphors that help stretch one’s imagination

Beauty paradigm: Very expressive and charged with energy. A dedication to a colleague who for a fraction of a second evoked maximum feelings of intimacy

Brown skin: This is a fast-paced, rhythmic poem. The use of enjambment increases the tempo and highlights the poet’s excitement and pride in his “brown skin

Outer heart within: It is paradoxical and mind boggling - in a good way

Pangs of your departure rise: The sincere compassion of the poem is as deep as the Nile of which the poet speaks

Please stay: Such an honest poem- It is very warm

Plethora of your images: The adoration the poet has for the subject of this poem is really captivating. His feelings are brought forth superbly.

Scent of your thoughts: It’s like fire that has been emitted from the soul. Sends a powerful, passionate and invigorating message. It’s short but it still burns an impression in the mind of the reader.

Temporary feels eternal: The stanzas are linked so well that it seems like a story

In poems like Adversary, A road less taken, Arrears love account, Chances misses, Cries of a child, Fear, Fortune, HIV a silent slayer, In his divine presence, LoveLee Ashley, My brown skin, Ode to my daughter, Pain, Power of silent voices, protective hand, solitude in a crowd, The child and Today, the author brings in some aspects that directly impact on love. Whether it be universal love for humanity, love for children or fear, they are considered imperative in consolidating the feeling of true love.

There are eight pictures inserted to best illustrate feelings and visions associated with truly being loving or attached to someone.

About the Author

Mxolisi Cassius Mabuya was born 42 years ago in Thabong a township near Welkom, a town in the Free State province, South Africa. He was raised by two loving parents who taught and instilled discipline in him through a very strict nurturing process. After political upheavals that led to the closure of Vista University, where he eventually graduated for his B Com Degree, he was detained without trial for 104 days. This marked a genesis of a journey that would catapult him to mature into well structured politics. While in jail he kept himself in shape through vigorous exercise. After his release he went back to boxing as his studies were temporarily put on hold as a result of the UniversityÕs closure when all Student Representative Council (SRC) members were detained. It is during that period that he caught the unmoved attention of his mentor, the diminutive Eric Andrews who went to extensive trouble in getting him a job on the mines as an accounts clerk. During that time, the Labour Reservation Act under apartheid laws prevented Africans from doing certain jobs and working in the finance office as an official was a preserve of European Africans only. As a boxer the author was schooled in the art of hitting without being hit which he mastered very well to the envy of some of his counterparts. In 1988 he got national colours in boxing and was the only boxer who knocked all his opponents out. Named after the legendary Mohammed Ali, his father wanted him to be a world champion. In his three years as a professional boxer he retired a provincial champion. The work environment introduced him to a world he never thought existed. The level of blatant racism that reared its ugly head was just too much to keep a radical character like him unperturbed. Through his relentless and persuasive fighting spirit he managed to win the adoration of his previously racist colleagues who went on to attend his wedding in a township they never envisaged they would see in their lifetime. His writing started as a way of venting out his frustrations on seeing how the apartheid system which he has opposed all his life was rearing itÕs ugly head through the back door. The author continues to write other material. He is currently working on a poetry book titled ÒReflections of the SoulÓ and a novel titled ÒTrapped in the Claws of a moleÓ which will be published very soon. ÒShades of RomanceÓ is his very first publication.