African love song Poem by Antjie Krog
African love song
neither the moist intimacy of your eyelids fair as fennel
nor the violence of your body withholding behind sheets
nor what comes to me as your life
will have so much slender mercy for me
as to see you sleeping
perhaps I see you sometimes
for the first time
you with your chest of guava and grape
your hands cool as spoons
your haughty griefs stain every corner blue
we will endure with each other
even if the sun culls the rooftops
even if the state cooks clichés
we will fill our hearts with colour
and the fireworks of finches
even if my eyes ride a rag to the horizon
even if the moon comes bareback
even if the mountain forms a conspiracy against the night
we will persist with each other
sometimes I see you for the first time
Beautiful train of thought, well articulated and nicely penned in good poetic diction with conviction. Thanks for sharing.
we will endure with each other even if the state cooks clichés Firm commitment in love makes it a lasting celebration of a relationship. Amazing poem. Thanks. we will persist with each other sometimes I see you for the first time
A faithful cry of a heart filled with hopes and wants. Wonderfully crafted poem indeed. Congrats foe being the PoD. X
A beautiful poem...... together with love, no matter what. This is true love. Congrats! ! !
perhaps I see you sometimes for the first time- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -That line was a show-stopper! A truth tossed off almost casually but it hit me like a freight train. We are ever-changing people in an ever-changing world- sometimes we catch a glimpse of another aspect of the ones we love... or we see our loved one with the excitement we had the first time we saw them and are so blessed
Sometimes when we thought we know someone we are surprised to see a mew side to them that makes us see them like the first time.
For the first time! ! Thanks for sharing this poem with us.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/16/2024 1:01:54 AM # 1.0.0.1119
Oh my goodness! I didn't know you were on here! I am so disappointed to see you only have 6 poems on here as I can't afford to buy anything more than what is important for my animals and what is a matter of life and death for me. I thought I came across the first of your poems I ever found when I was at school, but I couldn't have. You wrote it when you were 17 and it blew me away with its excellence and would have had you been 37! I forget its title, but I would recognise the poem and the poem's title immediately. If you were 17 I would have been 24 so it had to be when I was 24 or older. I adore my country and my continent passionately for all its wonders (of which your poetry is one glorious one) and despite all its horrors. My blood is infused with all that is Africa as is your poetry. As regards 'African love song', the tears are coursing down my cheeks with its fierce gentleness, and its fragile powerfulness and its earthy yet ethereal promises. Beautiful and as only one who breathes Africa can write! I don't know that you will ever see this, but whether you do or not, I can't believe that I am actually TALKING DIRECTLY to Antjie Krog!
your comment on 'African love song' is as worth as this beautiful Antjie Krog's poem. Thank you, Diana Blessings