Gert Strydom Poems

Ancient forces blew on the shofar,
before the battle begins
and I heard trumpets sing
Aida’s march,
...

The air is full of swallows
cross it up and down
and the late afternoon is humid
and thunderclouds hang heavy.
...

I

I saw boys growing up as
Christians,
...

There’s a big painting of a girl
with a light pink skin
that lies on a white skin cloak
in front of a dark pool,
...

There’s a road like out of a dream
or a fairy tale
that twists into the bushes,
but it’s white and pure
...

There’s a painting of a beautiful shy girl
with a bunch of rust brown keys,
that she holds
and I know that her painter
...

There are red flames
that’s curling in a bush
out of her head
and the fairy princess
...

It is as if all of spring does bring joy to You
while everywhere birds do day and night sing songs of praising,
the almond and cherry trees do carry their own wedding-gowns
every fruit tree stands with its blossoms ready
...

One more time through the veldt I want to walk with you,
where the sweet grass do everywhere stand knee-high and green,
where everything is untouched and open
as if this world is not slowly going to the abyss.
...

(after George Weideman)

Without you mere moments do change to nothing,
months do change to years where the drought is severe.
...