Gert Strydom Poems

You made changes to the house,
did again paint it on the in and outside,
hanged new curtains and lace-curtains,
and the roof-tiles are another colour.
...

On your body there are scars
that does tell stories of you,
about pain and adventure,
of times that your blood did run
...

Constantly I hold myself in the garden busy
and it's as if beautiful things just come to me,

I do notice seedlings appearing and autumn's dim light
...

No thunder, wind, earthquake or rain
can interfere with how to me you do look,
where your sincere love did me hook,
in my mind your image does still remain.
...

In this time almost all of humanity is afraid
while over all people death does hang as if it cannot wait,

where the figures of infection and demise do this confirm,
...

Speechless you leave me
and I send you all of the High-veldt
with the sun hanging bright and warm,
the afternoon thundershowers
...

The days that we are from each other away,
it's as if something is lacking all of the day
as if something essential did not with me stay
and now in the lockdown in a desperate way
...

(after Lucas Malan)

In the morning at first light
you do awake me
...

Around us it's dark in this time like night
where a deadly virus comes of which nobody has insight,

where every person as if peculiar do stand alone,
...

In my heart the greatest joy do remain
in the true words a long time past spoken
with some beautiful memories and pain,
are still lingering as a kind of token
...