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POETRY

POETRY

It’s The Africa In Me

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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)

by Diana van den Berg

POETRY

Born in Africa

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I was born in Africa 
In the war and poverty 
I love Africa my country 
I will save Africa. 

I was born in Africa 
The richest land for others 
The hell for our mothers 
I must save Africa. 

I was born in Africa 
Garden of dictatorship 
That makes hopelessness our ship 
Let me save Africa!

POETRY

A cry from Africa

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A wind is ruffling the tawny pelt 
Of Africa, Kikuyu, quick as flies, 
Batten upon the bloodstreams of the veldt. 
Corpses are scattered through a paradise. 
Only the worm, colonel of carrion, cries: 

‘Waste no compassion on these separate dead!’ 
Statistics justify and scholars seize 
The salients of colonial policy. 
What is that to the white child hacked in bed? 
To savages, expendable as Jews? 
Threshed out by beaters, the long rushes break 
In a white dust of ibises whose cries 
Have wheeled since civilizations dawn 
From the parched river or beast-teeming plain. 

The violence of beast on beast is read 
As natural law, but upright man 
Seeks his divinity by inflicting pain. 
Delirious as these worried beasts, his wars 
Dance to the tightened carcass of a drum, 
While he calls courage still that native dread 
Of the white peace contracted by the dead. 

Again brutish necessity wipes its hands 
Upon the napkin of a dirty cause, again 
A waste of our compassion, as with Spain, 
The gorilla wrestles with the superman. 
I who am poisoned with the blood of both, 
Where shall I turn, divided to the vein? 

I who have cursed 
The drunken officer of British rule, how choose 
Between this Africa and the English tongue I love? 
Betray them both, or give back what they give? 
How can I face such slaughter and be cool? 
How can I turn from Africa and live?

faith POETRY

Lord, I hear you whisper

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The Lord whispered to me, “I love you so,”
“Come follow me, my child, high places we will go.”
The Lord knelt beside me at an altar in prayer,
He wiped my tears and took away my despair.
“Come follow me, my child,” the Lord whispered to me,
“There will be no more pain, but oh so much to gain.”
He said, “I forgive you now for all you’ve done,”
Now it’s time to receive the love of God’s only son.”
His love was so warm, so bright and so true,
I could not believe my soul he had renewed,
He repaired my soul from the inside out.
It was then and only then I knew what love was about.
The cleansing power that fell over me,
Was the love of the Lord as he carried me.
“Come follow me, my child,” the Lord whispered to me,
“In that sweet holy land someday you will be.
You will see the Lord’s face at those big pearly gates,
Where loved ones embrace and angels await.
Come follow me, my child,” the Lord whispered to me,
“I will love you always, your protector I’ll be.”

POETRY

Your love,the beginning of my poems

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Before I met you,
I felt that I couldn’t love anyone,
That nobody would be able to fill the void in my heart,
But that all changed when I met you…
Then I came to realize you were always on my mind.
You’re funny and sweet,
You make me laugh and smile,
You take away all my anger and sadness,
You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,
More beautiful than any flower that I have ever seen,
You made me weak when I talked to you,
Then I started to write poems about you,
Now, I have come to realize that I am Hopelessly in love with you.