Some Treasures
To the red dust of the Highveld plains and KwaZulu koppies;
Where young feet roamed and in its earth-breathe did romp
Beneath golden haze, as in an oil canvas, the sunset lay
Painting goodbye to,
The scent of those African flames
The flames in the old shanty towns, farms and braai-kos lapas
Young and old shared stories, with some mischief untold
In those rivers, I swam
And those mountains I climbed
And the oceans where I caught my first catch
A toast now–to my brus!
Though my complexion speaks olive and my tongue something strange,
The red of the dust still flows in my veins
My Ouma, my Oupa, my Granny, and Gramps
To that same dust went back,
The one I left behind.
Farewell.
…and, through the air, I went by waka,
To descend in that Cloud!
To a land of milk and honey,
With favour to plea,
A ‘shout’...
…that I may dwell now,
my breath in Yours,
and as we hongi,
a taonga between you and me
nga mihi
te tama
Copyright © Rodney De Klerk | Year Posted 2024
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