It's The Africa In Me Poem by Diana van den Berg

It's The Africa In Me

Rating: 4.9


It’s the Africa in me
that loves the forest in which I wake,
that sees and hears its fauna and flora and revels in their names.

It’s the Africa in me
that you hear in my spirited conversation,
that shakes my shoulders as I sob my sorrows
or laugh my insides, inside-out.

It’s the Africa in me
that keeps me reading poetry deep into the night
and causes me to stroke the sinuous muscles of my striped, domestic cat
and kiss the muzzle of my gently nickering horse.

It’s the Africa in me
that has taught me how to love
and patches up the fragments of my soul after each disaster
and renews my zeal and increases my understanding
in preparation for the next onslaught.

It’s the Africa in me
that has carried me
from my first baby breath
and will support me to my very last.

I am truly a child born of Africa.

(August 1999)

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Fabrizio Frosini 06 February 2015

a great tribute to a wonderful Land.. a beautiful ''song''.. each and every line filled with poetry.. Thanks for sharing, Diana - and.. right to my MyFavoriteList

3 0 Reply
Diana Van Den Berg 12 September 2016

Wow, Fabrizio! Aren't you one of the 6 great poets that wrote a book with Galina Italyanskaya, a very good friend of mine (and a second book I think too) ? Thank you for your lovely words and for putting it into your Favourite List too.

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Fabrizio Frosini 18 September 2016

thank you, dear Diana. Yep, but I'm 'great' only regarding my 'height'.. since I'm 1,91 cm tall :) BTW, since that 1st collective ebook, we've published 10 Anthologies! :) It would be a honor to have one of your beautiful poems in a nex ebook.. Think about.. ;)

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Cindy Kreiner Sera 07 June 2009

Brilliant Diana - the Africa in you - in us who love this land.... only we can feel this strong emotion and go on believing... Thank you, into my Fav it will go - love, Cindy

2 0 Reply
Diana Van Den Berg 12 September 2016

Thank you, Cindy! Sorry, to you too, only to have seen your reply 7 years on! Yes, I am an African of the first water! Lovely to meet, another! Yes, there is a magic in Africa, , that isn't found anywhere else in the world. Once you have fallen in love with Africa, the passion for Africa never leaves you. Thank you for putting this into your Favourites.

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Anil Kumar Panda 16 December 2021

Shows how much you love your country. A great tribute indeed. Beautifully crafted poem. Nice share.

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Bharati Nayak 16 December 2021

A great poem of true love and pride for Africa for the beauty and values your motherland has imbibed in you

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Karen. 01 December 2020

This poem has resonated with my soul, it is beautiful and I hope you don’t mind but I have used it in my journal

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peace 29 October 2020

i need a picture that explain the peom

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A B Faniki 19 August 2019

Brilliant rhythm and steady flow of words that create an amazing images dat give tribute to africa.

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Diana van den Berg

Diana van den Berg

Durban, South Africa
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