Bushveld Reverie Poem by Lisa Pringle

As Horus' great discus touches the horizon,
A kind of calmness descends on the plains
And for a moment in time the world stands still.
Zebra calf nestling against his mare's rump;
Likewise young wildebeest and infant gazelle.
Giraffe tries to look unobtrusive on the foliage edge
Blending with shadows, his legs splayed wide.
Flocks of birds against the golden sunset,
Skimming treetops, heading home to roost.
Dung beetle desperate to finish his day's work
One more push, one last shove and labour ends.
An almost audible sigh as the sun disappears.
Venus raises her baton and the bushveld symphony starts:
Crickets on banjo, mosquitoes on violin and beetles on drum,
Frogs on variations of soprano, bass and alto
And a staccato of tenor provided by owls.
A slight breeze springs from nowhere
And ruffles savannah grass into whispering tales,
Stories of the day and stories of countless yesterdays long gone,
Perhaps even a hint of what the new day will bring.