childrenMy poetry challenge about africa. Sorry so long, but hope worth a read.
CALL OF THE WILD
Oh, wild, wild land of mine, you are my pulse, the beat
Of every waking moment; your blood runs thru my veins
Just as surely as if I had been borne to thee.
My earliest memories are of your wonder, calling
Beating on the drum of my senses, pulling me into
Your wiles, drawing me into your rhythm.
You caused loins to awaken and stretch upward, lauding
The very essence of your uniqueness; thrilling
At the sights, sounds and smells, of you.
You are a Nubian god, muscles stretched and taut
Shining in the light of the noonday sun, demonstrating
The very strength of you, opposing strife.
Lion, you are swift enough to hone in on your prey
With the speed of a gazelle, yet gentle enough to
Suckle your young at a tender breast.
You are geometric canopies painted on mud, midst
The ruin of poverty, denoting the contrast of cheer
In the midst of poverty and war.
You taught me to warily expect anything; to be
Prepared for the worst, appreciating when it was
The best that I received, salvation.
Saved from boredom’s curse, tangibly wreaking havoc
On my being; instead learning to live for the moment
One minute, one day, one hour at a time.
Black, brown, yellow, white, all yours, to envelop
In the folds of your apron, coddling each, showing no
Favor one above the other.
Thank you for taking me to your bosom, dear mother,
Not as one who is birthed of you, but adopted, and
Taken in to love, by choice.
A part of me will always belong to you, beloved
Land of my youth; will always cause me to stop and
Think when I am discarding a mere morsel.
Remember your ravenous children reaching out
Hands in hopes of breadcrusts as I belch in
The discomfort of overindulgence.
Yes, you are my alarm, ringing out the call to prayer
For those who have had no place to lay their heads
In the dark and cold of the night.
Your beauty, striking enough to hang my mouth in
Awe; yet your desolate need, an ache in the core of me
That I have to shrug off lest I die.
I love you, South Africa, dear land, I love you.
Bonniegirl, November, 2006
