It's The Africa In Me Poem by Diana van den Berg
It's The Africa In Me
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)
Diana, Cindy said it all, thank you for writing this tribute to our land, although I was not born here, I have the same love as you, and could never leave this land.. I am taking this with me. Warm regards Bob
Thank you, Bob for loving my beloved Africa too - and for enjoying my poem so much! - and to you, too, sorry for being 7 years late in seeing your reply! No, I couldn't leave either. I couldn't even leave my much loved (ordinary) house, and especially not my indigenous forest garden, many of the original trees of which were given to me as birthday or Christmas presents by my children when they were small.
Shows how much you love your country. A great tribute indeed. Beautifully crafted poem. Nice share.
A great poem of true love and pride for Africa for the beauty and values your motherland has imbibed in you
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
Brilliant rhythm and steady flow of words that create an amazing images dat give tribute to africa.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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12/4/2025 11:25:25 PM # 1.0.0
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
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.
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.. ;)