Gert Strydom, 5 august 2015
(For my wife, Daleen on our wedding anniversary)
In my thoughts you keep unfolding
with your white image that I keep remembering
and as always you are far past beautiful
as my companion, my beloved and wife,
the one to whom I do cling in life
and constantly you are true
as the one with whom I in love I do live
without a moment of consideration or contrition
and I can trust you with my deepest secrets,
keep depending on you while other people do make a hash
as to me you are far past unusual
and all of my best dreams I find in you
as the one that I want to love more
far past time and even past death.
Gert Strydom, 5 august 2015
The flock of Hadeda-ibises decent
and glitter bronze
in an indecent purple-copper sheen
in the sharp summer sun in the garden
and like a group of well armed ancient hoplites
they do form a formation
as they gather together
while their long sharp spear-like bills
slam down into the soft ground
to irradiate all snails, earthworms,
king-crickets and the larvae
of moths and beetles
that they do find
and when a human being startles them
they flap their huge wings
and loudly cry out “haa-haa-de-dah”
before rising with great strain into the air.
Gert Strydom, 4 august 2015
Away are the orange, white and blue
and there is another flag that I observe fluttering
as a sign of our country
and continually this country is stained with blood,
while millions of Afrikaners are leaving it
and the others are clinging to their land like I am doing
while the hand of a dark spirit does beget abdominal crimes
and my Lord, I am still trusting on Your mercy
that You like in the ancient times will again bring flesh to the bones
and will erect people, who stand as loyal as Gideon Scheepers did,
although they are scattered from work, from a home and their loved ones
and Lord, I want to insist upon a great change to come
and although we are one nation an unreasonable settling is constantly being forced down
and in the cities and the rural arias people are being affected
and Lord, I know that you do keep record of those that follow you,
that You do bare knowledge about every single thing
that Your rains of destruction will fall at a time
and that You do measure out a time for all governments,
that You do notice where innocent people wander around scattered,
how a new government does disinherit people from their future,
that you do observe sincere people of all colours that are trying to serve You,
also those that are murderer, are raped and that does die in the hands of robbers
and may the whole world know about our sincerity and Your salvation,
that to the bitter end true to You and our duty and blood,
we did not want to forget our people, our ideals and our God,
that we do only cling to Your salvation
and that although the enemy wanted us to forsake everything
we trusted that You would heal and mend our country.
Gert Strydom, 13 july 2015
As a Christian I have got a problem
with the omnipotent Lord God being blasphemed
or with His name being used in vain
and with the same occurring with the name of the savior
our Lord Jesus Christ
on television, in the movies and in the daily talk
of some Christians, of people
from every nation, language and every creed
so as if God does not exist
or as if God has become our own playmate
as if His great and holy name means nothing.
I have not heard a person say:
“in Satan’s name”
nor “thank Metatron it’s Friday”
nor “for Buddha’s sake,”
nor “with Allah,”
or “thank the Kabala”
or “Krishna knows,”
or “oh my Jane
or “byAmaterasu”
or “in Shiva’s, in Vishnu’s, or in Devi’s name”
or “under Muhammad”
or “may Maitreya damn him”
or “may Tao forbid it”\
or “Mahatma knows”
or “the Dalai Lama bless his soul”
or “by the help of the ancestors”
yet the great name of the creator God
does ring out continually in the mouths of men.
[Note: With great thanks to Janneman Enslin for the idea for this poem.]
Gert Strydom, 10 july 2015
That there is a time of rest for all things
I did realise when the winter of life did come
but still Your great and true care does remain everywhere
and not even a hair of a human being is lost
and sometimes a person does wonder about life without Your knowledge,
while at the onslaught of destiny a person stands astounded
but now in my years of early old age
there is even in the decline a kind of meaning,
while it becomes clear to me that Your plans do work better,
that You do continually go in advance on the way and do make provision
as Your care and thoughtfulness does come first
but still man is constrained to his own insight and wisdom
but when the outcome comes I do realise Your great love
in a world where rebellion, nemesis and heartache does reign.
Gert Strydom, 9 july 2015
From a distance I hear the thundering roar
where the mighty Zambezi falls down a ravine
hissing with vapor rising just like steam
and it’s a sight that I have never seen before
a creation from the hand of the divine
while on the river eagles turn and scream
and I come to wonder at the significance of life
while I see the greatest sight
and clasp the hand of my own wife
while a river flows with all of its might
and at times every human being is just a speck
on the great canvas of the universe.
Gert Strydom, 8 july 2015
I did shave and shower,
did drive my car out of the garage
while my wife and children were still sleeping
and already I longed for meeting my family again in the afternoon
and I did twist through the busy traffic to Johannesburg,
did wait on the escalator at work,
did pin in a security code at the right office
and the day at the office did begin
and when on an afternoon I did come home
my children were away at university
and the signs of the years were already on my wife
when like always I held her tight
and outside the weavers did frolic in a big oak tree.
Gert Strydom, 8 july 2015
That you are lovely
the whole wide world does know
but how we do feel about each other
that we are meant to be together
not one person does know,
not even your family
or circle of friends that gets wider and wider,
not even the postman who brings my letters to you
and this piece of paper
cannot keep it a secret
and it does blab out what it knows
that you are far past beautiful.
Gert Strydom, 7 july 2015
This morning a lovely girl woke,
showered under hot water from a tap,
dried her hair and curled them with some tongs
before she was dressing
in a neatly ironed blouse and skirt,
got some orange juice from the refrigerator,
fried some eggs and made some toast
and poured a cup of tea
and her eyes were blue and happy as the sky,
her smile was brighter than the sun
and she watched cartoons on the television,
saw in the news
what was happening throughout the world
for some reflection and moments of fun,
before her working day begun
and I do sing the song of the body electric,
the one of technology that is a blessing,
where everything is functioning perfectly
on the power coming from a wall plug
and we all live happy, secure and snug
where no ESCOM South Africa does cut the power off.
Gert Strydom, 6 july 2015
No one can remove
God's great love
and even though odd
that great love of the Lord God
is forever mine
and nothing beats that love divine.
No words can ever describe every bit,
the depth and sincerity of it
as it goes beyond time and space
and is present in every moment and place
and I do know
of His great grace that does glow
brighter than the sun’s rays
and even in my darkest days
His love is strong and pure
and the power of it does endure,
every morning it is fresh
as if of all people God does love me the best.
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