A Prayer After Noticing The Visiting Birds (Ballade) Poem by Gert Strydom

(after Ruth Pitter, in answer to Mathews Phosa)

White rule in my country did fall and jobs for white men are no more
while everything has changed from what it was before
unskilled, uneducated and irate black people do function everywhere
as life does ebb in and out like the waves upon the shore.

Chorus:
In my heart my Lord God I keep my faith in You warm
while everything is functioning out of the norm
while into robbery, murder and dilapidation life does go
and over and around us blows an undeserved bitter storm.

Yet still throughout the day the sun comes up with its burning hot flame
and tokens of Your love, compassion and righteousness still do remain the same
even in a country where four thousand commercial farmers have been killed,
wild birds do visit me; do bring tranquillity as sings of wonder and no other name

but Yours in all of this I do see where they sit on the windowsill and on a stone
and I do notice the redbreast, the hoopoe, the different barbets, weavers and everyone
that does seem to choose me a human above those of their own kind
where I do know that Your presence, Your care and oversight is not gone

even in a world where two cars and my mother's have been robbed from me,
where the insurance and police turned their backs on all of this in inadequacy,
where I am unemployed by Your grace I do still day after day survive
while the birds do twitter, look and do throughout the day keep me company,

Your hand is outside even on the sparrow; the wild doves and You are here
and like these natural wondrous fluttering things that do sing I a have no fear
while a politician only do relinquish crumbs as people are too white
as constantly You do remain and Your omnipotent power is near

but like these birds come to me, to You the only living God I do come
as a mere human insignificant in the passages where You do roam,
where the ancestor spirit worshiping rulers are in your sight,
as people are tortured, killed, robbed and raped and it's gruesome

while criminals do whatever they want during the day and night
I do beg You to use Your omnipotent power and even Your righteous might
for You to protect, to save and restore my country and my home
and to You my prayers, those of my people are like these birds in flight.

[Reference:"The Sparrow's Scull. Momento mori. Written at the fall of France" by Ruth Pitter. "Nou bid ek" (Now I pray)by Mathews Phosa.]

© Gert Strydom