Friday, November 6, 2015

A collection of poems




I believe that poetry can unlock a depth of consciousness which is conducive to self-insight and self-realisation. There was a time when my mind was more at peace, when I was able to reach through to its depths and unlock creative thought in the form of poetry



I offer you a few of my past attempts. These are quite a few years old and mirror my questioning on life that took place at the time. 


                                         

                                              To my wife

                                           I am free spirit
                                        you are fully human
                                  I am activity, air and ideals
                   and you are the mother of true humanity, the earth.
                                      We need to be both
                                 and that is why in becoming one ,
                                 we are the completion of true being.


                                             The Knowledge
              I stood there in the joy of knowing as she passed me by
                              this little black woman, small with age.
                                 Yet as she passed I smiled
                                          and she smiled.
                                      She knew that I knew
                                       and no word was said.
                           Words would have been inadequate,
                                 two souls had spoken instead.


                                          On human suffering
                                 We hear the cry of the children
                              and seek meaning in the will of God.
                               It is better to look to the will of men.
                         Let the father of the child look to his choice,
                               made without the need of his God
                       or look to the decision of he, who without God’s will
                             has sought to trust his own judgement
                             and whose weakness now touches all.

                                      Sentiments on the hunt
               I sadden when I think of the creatures, although but a few,
                           that had to die until the time that I knew
                        that their lives were not mine to cause to suffer,
                                             nor to pain  
                      but Nature’s children under Nature’s reign
                   better left to Nature’s law and predator’s paw
                                           to die nobly,
                                than to die for human vain.


                                         Old soldiers never die.
           I saw the excitement in his old eyes as he saw my uniform
    and for a few seconds were reflected the memories of the glory of victories won
                                 and the sorrow of comrades fallen.
            I should have known from his bearing that he was an old soldier
                           and I regret having not saluted him then.

                                           'Oh Alexandra'  (a modern Romeo and Juliet) 
(Based on the violence between the ANC and IFP political parties in Alexandra, South Africa in 1992)
                                            Oh Alexandra !,
                            What should have been a flame of hope
                           has been consumed by the flames of despair.
                              Like two lovers who wish to be together,
                               no force on earth can keep them apart.
                        But their dance is one of death and destruction
                                               and not of love.

                                          The pain of growth
                            Nature appears perfect, but it is not so.
                                         If things were perfect,
                                   they would not need to grow.
                        If all was complete, they would not need to evolve
                         and human beings would have no riddles to solve.
                             Our world is imperfect and full of pain.
                               It must be so, if we are to find gain
                            in real understanding of the way things are
                            and still find peace in that which remains.




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