A Prayer For People On The Farms In South Africa (Refrain Stanza Sequence) Poem by Gert Strydom

(in answer to Lina Spies)

I
Let Your name be remembered and hallowed here and everywhere about
and let Your blessing and benevolence on each person pour out
throughout this blood-stained wonderful and difficult land,
that everyone can know that everything come from Your hand,
let us suspend our judgement and Your love in our hearts sprout
and please withhold the government's ideas of land grabbing,
that will only bring to us famine, death and every vile thing,
where commercial farmers provide food with which we cannot life without
and let Your blessing and benevolence on each person pour out.

II
Where at German-Afrikaner people as a mere toddler I had to stay,
from the farmer's house during the day I was driven away,
I had to work where I could and my contribution was limited as small boy,
but as a mere child I did the labour on the farm enjoy,
I was too scared of getting a red dress as he did say
where at times I had to feed the machine cutting maize stalks,
was scared of that farmer in how he did act and talk
but still he was fair in a Christian kind of way,
from the farmer's house during the day I was driven away.

III
With black children as a child I did play,
where undivided as friends we were day by day,
we hunted with catapults and each one did a fair share take,
we threw flat stones that jumped over the lake,
I brought quince-canes with which to throw clay,
later old wonderful Maria did look after me,
where she served in love and was paid fairly
but now every white-man is a oppressor without charity,
where undivided as friends we were day by day.
IV
At family members with a farmer and his son
I noticed how You do bless and support everything that goes on,
we did round up cattle to the corral with horses on a holiday
did castrate, cut the horns burned the brand in the farming way
and just too quickly that great holiday was gone
but white and black together laboured through the day,
where each one received a very fair pay,
and in all of this You my Lord are the witnessing One,
I noticed how You do bless and support everything that goes on.

V
My Lord God, Yours are the cattle on every hill
everything that exists comes from Your divine will
and after ages of bloody labour of commercial farmers on each farm
I am astounded at the robbery, murder and all the harm
I beg like in ages past You do protect my people against each ill
where this country, the people and everything do belong to You,
that You guide us and protect and keep us in everything that we do
and may my people, all South Africans love and honour You still,
everything that exists comes from Your divine will

[Reference:"'n Paternoster vir Suid-Afrika" (A paternoster for South Africa)by Lina Spies.Poet's note:
"Every animal of the forest is mine and the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know every bird in the mountains and the creatures of the field are mine."Psalm 50: 10-11.]

© Gert Strydom