The Ballade Of Her Pilgrimage To Wellington Poem by Gert Strydom

(after Analisé Carstens)

I
On the farm she tries to forswear her pain
where she stands alone with nothing to defend her with,
do want to go and catch the rain like Joggem Konterdans
and nothing can stop her emotions and sorrow.

II
Chorus:
Down Church Street in Wellington she does ride at a gallop,
with her wild mare that wants to stop for nothing,
she is stark naked on the back of her black horse
where she pushes her heels into the thighs of it,

III
down the Bains Cliff road some men hear hoofs thunder
one notices her where he is walking to the bottle-store,
wonders if the brandy is going to his head,
as a naked woman on a horse is no kind of joke,

IV
old gossiper Hetty from shock almost falls over,
wonders if Anna is drunk or totally mad?
Phones George, Polly and her girlfriend Dolly
and gossips about naked Anna and about the dam.

V
She rides past the farm of Peter-Lion-river
and the labourers stare at her surprised,
she remembers brambles and her father's last bunch of grapes
and in the hurting she remains confused.

VI
Isaac drinks his moonshine and almost looks past her
screams alarmed:"Oh, my! "
Is dumbstruck while she passes him:
"It's farmer Jan's daughter Anna that rides like this! "

VII
Further past Luisbos and Stink River she races
where she finds old Rachel full of purple-blue spirits:
"My Lord, mistress Anna, farmer Jan is dead! "
It's words that do cut into the depth of her.

[Reference: "klein bedevaart na Wellington" (small pilgrimage to Wellington)by Analisé Carstens.]

© Gert Strydom