Catharine Poem by Gert Strydom

(after I.D. du Plessis)

Catharine of the Western Cape
was caught by passion last night
and she knows that nobody will understand
and this morning she is sleeping late.
Love and the deed of it take many forms for her
and at night the men whistle
when ever she goes into the dark streets
when the old church bell rings off the late evening
and her bitter work does begin
and sometimes she gets a chance
to eat out like a beautiful woman can
but mostly she acts out her age-old trade,
are smiling, impudently forward and sometimes scared
while she longs for better days and another life.

[Reference: "Katrina" by I.D. du Plessis.]