A poem by Wayne Visser - a South African now residing in UK

I know a place in Africa 
Where I can feel the sun on my back 
And the sand between my barefoot toes 
Where I can hear the gulls on the breeze 
And the waves crash on the endless shore 
I know a place in Africa 
Where the mountains touch the skies of blue 
And the valleys shelter vines of green 
Where the trees spread out a cloth of mauve 
And the bushveld wears a coat of beige 


I know a place in Africa 
Where I can hear the voice of thunder gods 
And watch their lightening spears thrown to earth 
Where I can breathe the scent of rain clouds 
And taste the sweet dew of dusty drops

This is the place of wildness 
Of evolution and dinosaurs 
Where life began and mankind first stood 
Of living fossils and elephants 
Where lions roar and springbok herds leap 
This is the place of struggle 
Of desert plains and thorn trees 
Where pathways end and hunters track game 
Of horizons and frontiers 
Where journeys start and sunsets bleed red 

This is the place of freedom 
Of exploration and pioneers 
Where darkness loomed and light saw us through 
Of living legends and miracles 
Where daybreak came and hope now shines bright 
My heart is at home in Africa 
Where the sound of drums beat in my chest
And the songs of time ring in my ears
Where the rainbow mist glows in my eyes
And the smiles of friends make me welcome 

My mind is at ease in Africa 
Where the people still live 
close to the soil 
And the seasons mark my 
changing moods 
Where the markets hustle with trading 
And Creation keeps its own slow time 

My soul is at peace in Africa 

For her streams bring lifeblood to my veins 
And her winds bring healing to my dreams 
For when the tale of this land is told 
Her destiny and mine are as one 

© 2006 Wayne Visser

Africa - in our bones