Halene - a thought frowned moment in time

Many years ago now,  I stopped in at a pub on my way back from Hermanus. it was a very stormy, rain sodden late Wednesday afternoon. and my car took a turn ive never taken before or since. the proprietor of the pub and 2 patrons where several glasses of something very powerful ahead and the mood was extremely somber. joining an existing volatile conversation between an established trio can be challenging. especially when 1 is a very drunk off duty policeman, the other is a provocateur poet and the third a lawyer. in South Africa communication between locals is a mixture of languages, which makes the brain much sharper not to offend. so between arriving and then reading the proprietors dark Afrikaans poetry out loud to the other 3 gentlemen all spilled around the rough bar counter, was a very slow 2 beer conversation. i still needed to drive a considerable distance home - over a pass that has claimed many a wrong turn life.

my mother is from an Afrikaans background and my dad is second generation South African Dutch with a good measure of local woven between. we speak only English at home. so upon reading these very powerful dark Afrikaans poems i was struck by the immense imagery the Afrikaans language can conjure up in ones mind, much more descriptive to my mind than English. especially i find haunting emotional feelings. for an unknown, not especially looking to complement reason, i mentioned to the proprietor that Afrikaans is by far the most intense and powerful  language to create poems in. he asked me why i had not given it a try yet - i mentioned , i felt it would be phony for me to dabble in this not my home language medium. a language i was considered a "soutpeel" in. his quick decisive response of - "absolute RUBBISH, Afrikaans poets write in English!" led me on the long drive home to a split second moment at another pub, deep in the Karroo, many, many years previous. when the glimpse of a look in the eye and the reaching for another glass, gives you a split second insight into a life being lived. from the perspective that a frowned thruppel of beers can conjure up.

waar kry jy hierdie man Halene?
Jy is getroud , maar nogsteeds alleen.
Jy soek vir iets wat is nie daar,
Jou lewe is mooilik , jou hart is swaar.
onder stil water jy sal hier bly.
met hierdie man, jy het gekry.

QJD - wordsmid swaardvegter - 2011

the veil of mystery and emotion over this short afrikaans poem is for me, far more powerful  than the poem i wrote in english of the maidens stare 2009 - which was a far more haunting subject. this poem is what it is and its just a simple sketch, its not meant to be anything other than the outlet of a brief wild crazy conversation on a dark and stormy night.

lesson for a daughter - 2011

to fall in love my sweet with words,
your love will be the tweet of birds.

to fall in love my dear with deeds,
your course is strong and  will succeed

QJD - nov 2011