Fly Machine: The Day I Learned to See - By Prince Lehlogonolo Tleane

Written By: Prince Lehlogonolo Tleane

Category: Poetry

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, Prince Lehlogonolo Tleane presents "Fly Machine: The Day I Learned to See," a thought-provoking poem that explores the theme of perception and understanding. Through vivid imagery and a reflective narrative, this piece invites readers to journey with the poet from a childhood moment of confusion to a profound realization about knowledge and perception.

About the Work

"Fly Machine: The Day I Learned to See" encapsulates a journey from innocence to insight. Tleane's poem uses the metaphor of a helicopter to explore themes of perception, knowledge, and the isolation that often accompanies understanding. The poem's tone is reflective, and its imagery evokes a childhood landscape filled with curiosity and eventual clarity. The narrative reveals the poet's realization that true vision sometimes requires seeing beyond the obvious.

Fly Machine: The day I learned to see

Original Submission by Prince Lehlogonolo Tleane

FLY MACHINE: THE DAY I LEARNED TO SEE

I remember the sound before I remember the sight.

“Duke… duke… duke… duke…”

We were children - scattered across the dusty yard of our pre-school, chasing nothing and everything at once. Then suddenly, our teacher stood still.

“Children! Come here-quickly!”

We gathered around her.

She pointed to the sky.

“Do you see it? Come on, sing!”

And they began:

“Fly machine, go tell the rooster

to bring the child on Friday…”

Their voices rose together - loud, joyful, certain.

But I stood behind them.

Small.

Quiet.

Unseen.

The sky above was bright, but the shape within it trembled - unclear, almost alive. “What is it?” I wondered.

They laughed.

They pointed.

They knew.

“Fly machine! Fly machine!”

But I did not.

And in that moment, I felt something heavier than silence.

Why can they see what I cannot?

Why does the world make sense to them, and not to me?

That day, the sky spoke.

But not to me.

Years passed.

One afternoon, walking alone, I noticed a torn magazine lying in the dust - abandoned, like something forgotten by the world.

I picked it up.

Inside were pictures of machines - metal bodies suspended in air, blades stretched above them like wings that did not flap.

I stared.

It felt familiar.

But I had no name for it.

That evening, I carried the page to an elder who often sat outside near our yard - a man whose silence carried more knowledge than words.

He took the page, looked at it carefully, then looked at me.

“You’ve seen this before, haven’t you?” he asked.

I nodded.

“That,” he said,

“is a helicopter.”

I repeated it slowly.

“A… helicopter.”

He leaned back.

“It is not magic. It is not a bird.

It is a machine - moved by power, guided by knowledge.”

A machine.

Suddenly - the sound, the memory, the confusion - everything began to connect.

The sky of that day…

the “duke duke duke…”

the children shouting…

The “fly machine.”

For the first time,

I began to see.

Not long after, we sat together again - a group of boys, full of laughter and borrowed certainty.

And like before,

the topic returned.

“The fly machine.”

“It’s witchcraft,” one said confidently.

“Things of boloi.”

“No,” another laughed,

“those are birds from white people. They confuse us.”

They spoke loudly.

Not because they knew -

but because they feared silence.

Then - they looked at me.

“What do you think?”

Something inside me hesitated.

But something stronger refused to stay silent.

“I think…” I said slowly,

“…it’s a machine. Powered by an engine.”

A pause.

Then-

Laughter.

Sharp.

Loud.

Unforgiving.

“A machine?”

“You hear this one!”

Fingers pointed.

Voices rose.

I tried to explain -

but my words broke against their noise.

And just like that-

I was small again.

My face lowered.

My chest tightened.

Tears came - quietly,

as if ashamed to be seen.

But something inside me did not fall with them. Because this time-

I knew.

That “fly machine” was never just a thing in the sky. It was a lesson.

A lesson that:

knowledge is not always accepted,

truth is not always heard

and understanding often walks alone before it is followed That day, I learned what a helicopter was.

But more than that-

I learned what it means

to see

when others refuse to.

And perhaps-

what I thought was a curse

was never a curse at all.

But the beginning

of vision.

Prince

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a prestigious platform celebrating diverse voices in poetry and creative writing. This competition encourages writers to share their unique stories and insights, enriching the literary world with varied perspectives and innovative expressions.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Prince Lehlogonolo Tleane for sharing "Fly Machine: The Day I Learned to See" with us in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Your evocative exploration of vision and understanding resonates deeply, and we thank you for your contribution to this celebration of creativity.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.