AFRICA…
My home;
my continent of heart-stopping contrasts.
…Where the sun wakes me up and rocks me to sleep.
…Where I can stand on tip-toes and dream; look out on
hazy landscapes as colours distort the distant views;
…where I study the glory of thunderclouds and taste the
rain in my nostrils.
….Where our precious water flees out of clouds, swamps
our land, floods its fields, falls over mountains and disappears into endless crevasses.
Where the earth looks on - parched, panting and restless.
…Where animals thrive while others only just survive. They
leave ghostly tracks on unspoiled river beds as birds gently soar on the wings
of endless thermals.
…Where dusty dunes ring out their song against azure
skies; and misty mountains encase the secrets of vast and dense forests.
Ah, Africa, my love….
…Where I can hear the murmur of my soul; and feel my
connection to God and His precious earth,
…Where I can cherish our grand array of cultures,
languages, ethnicities, religions, countries and where my understanding of
these is beautifully elusive.
Ah Africa, its people…
…Whose broad smiles welcome others to our shores, yet the
hollow stares of poverty shock us all into stunned action.
…Where the sad faces of children search for scraps
amongst the rubble while others little ones lick ice-cream lollies on sandy
beachfronts.
Oh the moods of this beautiful land…
…Where music echoes the pain of our past, and drums peal
out our hope,
…Where the confusion of our politics and corruption bleeds our hearts and our need for transformation
Yet love abounds in the smallest places as Ubuntu and
hatred flourish side by side.
Oh Africa, continent of contrasts, you’ve given me life
in all its beautiful glory….
