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.