DANKBAAR (Translation: Thankful)

A friend of mine, Mr Roelof Steyl, has given me permission to post a poem he wrote recently.  It is written in Afrikaans so my apologies to those who can't understand it. Enjoy.

DANKBAAR
(Deur Roelof Steyl)

In genade kyk Vader na ons,
In genade is ons geskep.

Gevorm in die moederskoot,
Geweef en laat leef.

Ons opdragte was eenvoudig,
LOOF MY EN VERTEL VAN MY…

Ons is geskape
Tot die beeld van God,
Gemaak om in lewe te getuig…

Elke vaset van ons wese moet blink
Elke glimlag tot sy eer.

Dikwels verloor ons visie,
Ons kyk verby Sy almag…
Ons focus op die uiterlike
En judge dit wat vreemd is…

Tog in die soeke na ‘n antwoord
Die soeke na ons Vader
Kyk ons dikwels die antwoorde mis…

Voor ons,
Om ons,
Binne ons,
Bo ons…
Ja orals is die wondere van God…

Daagliks besoek daar engele
Wesens vanaf die koningkryk…
Hul word gestuur on ons te leer van dankbaarheid
Te verstaan van ons nietigheid…

Kyk om jou,
Dank die Here jy het ‘n asem…
Jy kan vorentoe stap in verwondering
en aanhou lewe vir Sy wil:
Loof Hom Prys Hom…

Daar kom storms,
Jy het dalk al ook gekruip…
Modder on jy heupe,
Water by jou neus…

Job self het gewankel,
Stomme man op ‘n hoop…
Tog met almal om hom,
Het hy bly vasklou aan die word:
Die Here Gee,
Die Here Neem,
PRYS SY WONDERLIKE NAAM!!!

Niemand het gesê dis maklik,
Niemand het gesê dit is ‘n breeze…
Maar jy is hier met ‘n opdrag:
LOOF HOM PRYS HOM GEE HOM EER!!!

(Geskryf aan 'n Pienk engeltjie wat my baie geleer het in my diepste tyd van seer en pyn... Shons, May God bless you for being a blessing...)

Decadence to despair (by Kathryn-Ann Nourse)

You dry your tears on a shirt full of holes
You cry at the memories of years gone by

Your regrets have already gone cold
The burdens upon your heart are now familiar friends.

The effort to rise from this pit of despair
Is as much as the effort it took to get you there
In the first place.
But it was fun back then and you didn't realise
That while planning your parties,
You were also planning your demise.

You...

You
Your eyes that smile
Your voice and laugh
Your heart and soul

Us
True love
Tears and laughter
Your voice and silence...

Distance...
Wondering...
Prayer and waiting...
Aching remembrances...

Pray...
Trust...
Father's love...
Patience & peace...

You
Your eyes that would smile
Your voice and laugh
Your heart and soul

Your whisper...
A memory...
Distance...
Silence...

Prayer and trusting
Patience and peace
Peaceful remembrances of
You

I said I wouldn't wait, did I? (by Kathryn-Ann Nourse)

You said you loved me but I said I wouldn't wait, and you didn't waste time to forget me. It wasn't love. It wasn't love. I don't cry 'cause your not mine in fact I'm happily forgotten but I just want you to know that I think your life is rotten, though you're happy. You're so happy. Are you? Oh she makes you smile and laugh and giggle, does she? I hope you love her, really love her like you should have loved me. Do you? Love her? Love her.

 

- This one is more of a rap text than a poem.  I had a lot of fun writing it.

Feeling inspired - Late night pessimism

Inspiration is merely an emotion. It may be from wherever not just from within. You get a bright idea and decide to write it down. It flourishes and flies sky high. It takes you to places you've never dreamed of, and before you know it, you've closed your notepad and closed your eyes. You wake up in the morning and with new zeal after breakfast and that first cup of coffee, load the kids into the car late for school again. Your day is so busy at work until late afternoon and then you dash off to fetch the kids from their soccer, ballet, school play to get them home for homework. By the time dinner and homework is done it's ten at night and your eyes are heavy so you brush your teeth and slip into bed and forget about your hectic day. You wake up a few hours later inspiration dripping from your fingertips as they scuttle about to find a pen and scribble down another piece du resistance idea. It'll rock the world, take you to the top and before you know it, the pen has fallen from your hand as your eyelids fall to sleep and you get the much needed rest for another marathon day tomorrow.

There we aren't - by Kathryn-Ann Nourse

You're the evergreen outside my snowy window.
You're the moon that follows me through the night.
You're the sand on the beach.
You're the picture frame on my desk.

You're a post card away but as close as the breeze upon my face.
Ever mine, ever not.

Obligations (by Kathryn-Ann Nourse)

Harken the hasty souls running in scatter and scant for winter.
Bless them and pour out your best teacups in celebration
of their return to a life where they no longer fit in.

Dress the buried hearts that sunk at sea
and the one armed man returning home without his team.

It settles on tearful families whose boys never returned home men.
The war is over but the battle is alive,
relived daily,
in white jackets between white walls and hearts cry out.

Me, myself and Irene - a poem by Kathryn-Ann Nourse

Unanswered questions

leave unopened doors to

the unawakened part of my psyche, I run

to find a key and run

to find missing pieces of the puzzle to

open this part of my mind. I run

in circles until I find myself

alone

in a room where I hear voices

that aren't mine.

I can't find the door out and

I've lost all hope of ever finding me.

Guess I'll go hang out with Jim Carey and their Irene.

Pride - by Kathryn-Ann Nourse (for a good friend whom I am proud of)

You smile and prosper under the sun.
The rain has beaten you down but you rise each time.
I'm glad for your prosperity but I wonder about your heart and soul.

Does life still pose a challenge or are you stagnating?
Will you grow or gather moss?
Am I foolish to believe in you,
that you are destined for more,
for greater things than this?

The world at large needs you, your heart, your mind.
Spread your wings friend and fly free, fly high and shine!

Traveller

I hope to travel abroad shortly and may post a few photos or interesting stories of what I got up to there.  I am still figuring out how to add stuff but I'll get there.  Do you have a bucket list?  Comment at the bottom if you like and let me know what you have on your list.  Below are a few of mine:

• Go to Switzerland and snowboard
• Hike the length of the Drakensburg in South Africa (I'm told this can take months)
• Travel the world.
• Hike the Fish River Canyon.
• Do a multi day river rafting trip.  Wherever it is I'm sure it will be fun.
• Road trip around South Africa
• Road trip in Australia
• See the Grand Canyon with my own eyes
• Learn as many languages as I can.  So far I am learning French, Spanish and Southern Sesotho (a local language here in South Africa)

Daylight mourning (by Kathryn-Ann Nourse)

Dark night, too little light this child can't see or feel a thing.
Pools of black in shades of grey, nothing keeps her fears at bay.
Away, away she cries and wishes herself to flee, to move her feet. No crimson morn or azure day to reassure a life in mourning of the day she was born. For darkness pools about her feet, and in her eyes no rest, no energy.

Hard stone and a breaking fall into depth she's never been before.
Oozing black upon shades of grey, down down to the ground.
Darkness outside and now it surrounds and swallows her in.

With the weather comes rain (by Kathryn-Ann Nourse)

I pushed you away when all I wanted to do is hold your hand.
I picked you as beautiful flowers in the garden only to crush you instead.
I drew you in like a lover to my bosom but left you for dead.

In slow burning anger I pushed and I said
the most dreadful things that would come to my head
and with well meaning heart I covered the blade
that now beside our bloodless deathbed lays.

Nameless (by Kathryn-Ann Nourse)

I hate that I loved you,
that I wasted time caring about you,
that my eyes are open and I see your faults and flaws.
I can't remember one good thing about you,
which maybe is better, since I'm nothing to you at all.

The crying child when you're watching a show,
the passionate young drummer in the middle of the night,
the sound of lawnmowers during your afternoon nap,
the person noisily speeding down the road.
I'm nothing to you and soon you will be a very long distance memory.

Burn (by Kathryn-Ann Nourse)

Heat sears the flesh and it bursts in red
Cold icy sleet is sloshing under my barefoot feet
My eyes water from the shock
and my heart stops

Youtube video: Dogs raw sewage nightmare

SOUTH AFRICA PLEASE STOP LITTERING!  YOU ARE KILLING OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.

Poor doggie gets a raw deal in an open sewer which used to be called Bruma Lake.  Please watch this video and send it along.

 

http://youtu.be/ezWvc2bjUlc  - Dogs raw sewage nightmare.

 

Thanks

 

LETS KEEP SOUTH AFRICA CLEAN!