Ode Of The Plain Poem by Gert Strydom

(after Jan F. E. Celliers)

I
The plain lays streched out in its eternal rest,
is still in the slumber of everything on it aware,
are undisturbed by the going of the ages,
where the extend of it do entice man and animal,
where it stretches past mountains up to the coast,
where herds of antelope do graze on the savannah fields,
natives in small patches of land do work,
while it is in acquiesce by the natural going of things,
is still in the slumber of everything on it aware.


II
At a time the dark water did stretch out everywhere,
where the Son next to the Father and Spirit streched out His hands,
while the Spirit of God deep in thought did glide over everything
and from the words of God came everything that lives:
the newly created earth and everything that does cover it,
He brought forth earth, grass, flowers, plants and trees,
animals, fish, birds and dinosaurs created by their kind,
with rivers, waterfalls, and gigantic lakes at places,
where the Son next to the Father and Spirit streched out His hands.


III
Cycle upon cycle are followed by adumbration
and from the mouth of God came constant renewal
when things in a set format suddenly did exist,
where animals as male and female stood next to each other
and Adam and Eve were warned about sin
but through them came a fall to sin after which everything did come and go,
did constantly generate, did live and exist and again did perish,
at places the walls of the earth broke open with surging
and from the mouth of God came constant renewal.


IV
The plain lies in its rest but high and holy about everything elevated
there is the omnipotent Lord God who lives forever
and when in the morning the sun burns red on the horizon,
the darkness and then the twilight becomes brighter where it does gleam,
where the sun burns and scorches from days yonder,
while animals and plants do yearn for water, for thunder-storms that have to come,
where without water death does ravage everything with the power of it everywhere
but suddenly lightning do bash down blue-white when a mass of clouds do come gliding,
while there is the omnipotent Lord God who lives forever.


V
When the rain falls continually for days,
everything on the plain does suddenly again become green and luxuriant,
when water in the lakes and rivers dam up and flow everywhere,
there are the bellow of the antelope and the lows in joy over the plain,
when nothing can stop their gambolling and great joy,
where constantly they graze on the new green grass in gathering herds,
where the hunter and the predator with a onslaught comes nearer and nearer
and in gigantic herds buffaloes, wildebeest and zebras do trek,
while everything on the plain do suddenly again become green and luxuriant,


VI

At night when the darkness pulls her cloak over the plain,
there is dew that falls on the stems of the streched out savannah grass fields,
while unseen and unheard the sprouts do grow luxuriant,
when it is as if a tranquillity and rest do overreach everything,
when leopards and other predators like patches of shadow sneak near
and suricates and other animals do hide away in their holes,
while only here and there cries of fear do call out,
while there is dew that falls on the stems of the streched out savannah grass fields,


VII

far off beyond the horizon the veldt burns glowing,
silent the plain lies with all of this as if it does suspect nothing
and later the fire is smouldering and by rain does pine away,
with danger that appears and again does disappear
there is fear and sometimes blood is spilled,
while the birds sing to God their songs of praise,
while with a bellowing and bleating the antelope bring their thanks,
where daily He does still care and is protecting everything
and silent the plain lies with all of this as if it does suspect nothing.


[Reference:"Die vlakte" (The plain)by Jan F. E. Celliers.]

© Gert Strydom