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.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
lesson for a daughter - 2011
To fall in love my sweet with words,
your love will be the tweets of birds.
To fall in love my dear daughter with deeds,
your course is strong and you will succeed.
Nov 2011
your love will be the tweets of birds.
To fall in love my dear daughter with deeds,
your course is strong and you will succeed.
Nov 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Beware the friend
beware the friend!
Whose happiness lies in your demise?
Whose tear filled eyes, coincide with your life highs?
Whose lone sighs are heard when your ship flies,
Who is content when your dream skies, light dies?
Rather
Seek a friend who's intimate care, is a future vision and a dream shared.
To a road less travelled yet to be opened gates, this will determine a true friendships fate.
A friend must be happy when you emit a smile and concerned when tears fill time awhile.
To find these friends is a lifelong quest, it’s of duty born and its your lifes behest.
QJD 2011.
Whose happiness lies in your demise?
Whose tear filled eyes, coincide with your life highs?
Whose lone sighs are heard when your ship flies,
Who is content when your dream skies, light dies?
Rather
Seek a friend who's intimate care, is a future vision and a dream shared.
To a road less travelled yet to be opened gates, this will determine a true friendships fate.
A friend must be happy when you emit a smile and concerned when tears fill time awhile.
To find these friends is a lifelong quest, it’s of duty born and its your lifes behest.
QJD 2011.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Artists warning
Know all artistic creatives to whom it may concern.....
Read this warning to avoid this life's trap and learn!
At birth you're given seeds to facilitate your rise,
Beware the Pip that can cause your creative demise!
Your seeds may be beauty, royal blood a vastly superior brain....
Beware the Stella that can cause you the greatest pain.
These words etched deep into this troublesome life.
Striving for social creative acceptance will cause unnecessary strife.
Be content with your humble station artistic creative class,
Because "born rich snobs" will delight in making you the right royal ass!
The birthright of royals and the social elite,
Must never have you seeking approval at their cold fowl feet.
Be content and happy with your artistic creative standing,
Let those who hold keys to this life come to your respected landing.
Because a humble lord will tip a respected hat to creative skill.
Whereas arrogance will have you climbing a pseudo creative hill.
A hill that's height will never reach a mutual end,
Striving for its pinnacle will simply drive you round the ego fueled bend!
My friend its better to be a simple creative artistic working class hero,
Than a wanna-be, social phoney high class fake bogus ZERO.!!!
QJD - 2008
Read this warning to avoid this life's trap and learn!
At birth you're given seeds to facilitate your rise,
Beware the Pip that can cause your creative demise!
Your seeds may be beauty, royal blood a vastly superior brain....
Beware the Stella that can cause you the greatest pain.
These words etched deep into this troublesome life.
Striving for social creative acceptance will cause unnecessary strife.
Be content with your humble station artistic creative class,
Because "born rich snobs" will delight in making you the right royal ass!
The birthright of royals and the social elite,
Must never have you seeking approval at their cold fowl feet.
Be content and happy with your artistic creative standing,
Let those who hold keys to this life come to your respected landing.
Because a humble lord will tip a respected hat to creative skill.
Whereas arrogance will have you climbing a pseudo creative hill.
A hill that's height will never reach a mutual end,
Striving for its pinnacle will simply drive you round the ego fueled bend!
My friend its better to be a simple creative artistic working class hero,
Than a wanna-be, social phoney high class fake bogus ZERO.!!!
QJD - 2008
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Mock a killing jailbird
This is a suburban fathers wild war cry.
As pure evil has a face and we all slowly die.
For R5 rand evil will murder your new born baby.
For nothing evil will rape, beat and kill a defenceless lady.
Evil will without remorse put a bullet in your child.
Evils a gangsters "right of passage" to act like a rabid virus wild.
With no mercy evil will murder an unarmed man.
As pure evil has a face and we all slowly die.
For R5 rand evil will murder your new born baby.
For nothing evil will rape, beat and kill a defenceless lady.
Evil will without remorse put a bullet in your child.
Evils a gangsters "right of passage" to act like a rabid virus wild.
With no mercy evil will murder an unarmed man.
In cold blood, with a smirk, because evil feels they can.
Evil will act like a security guard without a brain.
Protector to killer, as evil throws innocence from a moving train.
Evil feels if your numerous you have the absolute right.
To commit deplorable acts of violence, inflict your evil filthy might.
Their is no reason why evil acts like rabid beasts.
Beckoning their evil kin to their sick vile feast.
The wicked pack dog cowards strike at will.
The evil pack dog cowards, rabid animals love to kill.
Human beings evil is now definitely not.
Maggots in the brain decayed human rot.
Hard wired evil creatures with no human feelings.
Has left a quite, compassionate suburban father now completely reeling.
What is the solution for the remainder of kind humanity?
Is there an answer to this sick vile sub human evil vanity?
Or do suburban fathers await the cold serpents evil fetid eye.
As pure wicked evil has a rabid face as love slowly starts to die?
July 2006
Evil will act like a security guard without a brain.
Protector to killer, as evil throws innocence from a moving train.
Evil feels if your numerous you have the absolute right.
To commit deplorable acts of violence, inflict your evil filthy might.
Their is no reason why evil acts like rabid beasts.
Beckoning their evil kin to their sick vile feast.
The wicked pack dog cowards strike at will.
The evil pack dog cowards, rabid animals love to kill.
Human beings evil is now definitely not.
Maggots in the brain decayed human rot.
Hard wired evil creatures with no human feelings.
Has left a quite, compassionate suburban father now completely reeling.
What is the solution for the remainder of kind humanity?
Is there an answer to this sick vile sub human evil vanity?
Or do suburban fathers await the cold serpents evil fetid eye.
As pure wicked evil has a rabid face as love slowly starts to die?
July 2006
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Time life conundrum
Snatching glimpses from the window of a speeding train.
Life flashes before us much too fast for our tiny brain.
In our vague attempt to latch onto the tangible. We create our future, crude or something rather incredible.
If the accelerating blur becomes definite,
We step off the train and into the infinite.
Life flashes before us much too fast for our tiny brain.
In our vague attempt to latch onto the tangible. We create our future, crude or something rather incredible.
If the accelerating blur becomes definite,
We step off the train and into the infinite.
Watch as the blur accelerates towards oblivion.
Interpreting patterns, signs of our limited vision.
Interpret we must the exact moment of absolute clarity.
We will understand the full extent of our incredible ability.
Focus all sight on the far off horizon line.
The blur will all unite and start to clearly align.
Get used to the blinding speed of lifes events.
Later there will be much time to think, lament.
Take it slow, focus your vision on all the detail.
You will then decipher life through the simple eye veil.
2006.
VICE
WHAT IS THIS THAT WE CALL A VICE ?
THAT FOULS OUR MIND LIKE LEGEONS OF LICE.
A TINY INSIGNIFICANT THOUGHT,
OVERWHELMS OUR MIND AS OUR SOUL IS BOUGHT.
OUR PALMS SPREAD UP OUR HEADS FORWARD BENT.
AS WE AGAIN HEAD TOWARDS FROM WHENCE WEVE BEEN SPENT.
ONCE MORE WE LOOK TO CAREFULLY PREPARE
THE BLACKHOLE WE KNOW WILL LEAD TO DESPAIR.
THIS TINY PROBLEM IS UNDER CONTROL WE THINK.
AS WE SLOWLY STRETCH OUR PALM FOR THE NEXT SMALL DRINK.
QJD – 2006
COPYRIGHT
THAT FOULS OUR MIND LIKE LEGEONS OF LICE.
A TINY INSIGNIFICANT THOUGHT,
OVERWHELMS OUR MIND AS OUR SOUL IS BOUGHT.
OUR PALMS SPREAD UP OUR HEADS FORWARD BENT.
AS WE AGAIN HEAD TOWARDS FROM WHENCE WEVE BEEN SPENT.
ONCE MORE WE LOOK TO CAREFULLY PREPARE
THE BLACKHOLE WE KNOW WILL LEAD TO DESPAIR.
THIS TINY PROBLEM IS UNDER CONTROL WE THINK.
AS WE SLOWLY STRETCH OUR PALM FOR THE NEXT SMALL DRINK.
QJD – 2006
COPYRIGHT
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