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Mere existence (in answer to Breyten Breytenbach)

With the hot sun daily appearing,
the beauty of the glittering stars at night,
the wind dancing through the leaves
it seems as if every thing is caught,

as if existence is mere rejoicing
in which insects, birds and people are frolicking,
as if we are in a world that is only waiting
for bigger glory with each coming day

as if our lives are not measured out
to mere existence, as if time can last eternally,
as if time itself is missing,
only is something fleeting that we experience,

as if everything is caught in the here and now,
in that which we experience and live through,
the feelings in the heart,
the principles of loving

but reality
is filled with heartache,
illnesses, suffering and pain
with our youth that disappears,

there is grey coming to our hairs,
the beauty of our faces,
our bodies decay with the years
and time is measured out for every one

until when our lives suddenly
or gradually comes to a end,
where each one of us decays
like just another wilting flower.

[Reference: “daar is geen tyd” (“there is no time”) by Breyten Breytenbach.]

poem by Gert Strydom
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When I Stand At The End Of Our Love

I

When I stand at the end of our love
that disappears as if the flame
of destiny determines our feelings
then you trample my humanity to its depths.
When that which we see as holy does go lost
it makes my wonder,
if we can find a place somewhere
without any suspicion
where things are peaceful and clear
where we both are stripped from others,
where you wait faithful
with every word and deed a small witness
that our feelings did not change
in the glittering night full of stars.

II

In the glittering night full of stars
I saw you for moments
held you tightly
with passion that could not wait,
you were mine through a summer day
as if you eternally true
would only keep to me
your eyes shone pretty like the stars
but now you are not there anymore
to reach for me,
and our time is past and forever finished,
the song of our lost love has finally been sung
and in the evenings I see your eyes gaze,
in the evenings the memories flare up.

III

In the evenings the memories flare up
with shining eyes full of deep meaning,
that which was between us was no secret
and the light of it circled out to others
but another came into our lives
making that which was pure and noble
trampled, lost and full of woe,
twisted away from all beauty,
broken to many pieces
and with painful suspicion and prayer
I wanted to spare our love from destruction,
I wanted our relationship to be restored,
wanted to rescue the beauty in its fullness;
I had to accept your free will.

IV

I had to accept your free will
and the feelings that we had
was suddenly broken and finished,
even the way we did live
but now I know that love does sometimes fail,
even when it's seen as being eternal,
a person has sometimes got to experience pain
and heartache that falls like a lightning bolt
while that which was between us did perish
and I had to go on another way
that shines up to the highest heavens,
which God Himself sets out for me
and the break-up was your decision;
I wonder from where our love did come?

V

I wonder from where our love did come,
the feelings that once was between us
about the glittering eyes that met each other,
the beauty that almost was something Godly?
Somewhere that fire was distinguished,
was scorched, burnt to ashes,
you were infected by love for someone else
while you did leave me pain
and I wonder how your blushing cheeks,
the glittering fire in your eyes
could so easily catch me,
could bewitch me,
when your heart could despise me,
while that which was between us now fades.

VI

While that which was between us now fades.
to only broken memories,
into my lost ponderings
the branches of our spring is now sawn off
and the beauty did perish like it did please you,
with heartache that goes to the depths of the soul
and sometimes it feels as if this sadness goes wider,
as if these feelings go to other horizons
and the pain is like a falling drop
that in water circles out wider
and later the surface is without a crease
as it goes into oblivion
but memories do tell
you did once love me passionately.

VII

You did once love me passionately
with love in your eyes,
fire and electricity in every touch,
with the glory of rainbows
and now there is just scorn in your gaze
while I am a stranger,
while you are lost in the traps of life
and now you are wild like an animal
that preys and mangles and set selfish claims,
like a cat from hell that slyly steals upon me,
as if my love and tenderness does not count
as you sneak nearer with anger and destruction
but still life goes on at its time
when I stand at the end of our love

poem by Gert Strydom
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Four prayers during the yearly seasons in the Highveld

I. Spring begins

Spring begins in green almond leaves,
in blossoms appearing snow white in a cobalt blue sky
where the sun sits brilliant white, glowing more intense than golden chandeliers,
where flowers appear and bridge the skeleton of every tree

while rain now pours down regularly,
sieves down in every bush and in the lane
with yellow and pink blossoms
appearing daily, puffing out.

Lord, let these times become a tribute
and what was once dead and winnowed
now become joyous, as a hymn of praise to You,
let fruit appear from the blessing that You are showering,
let my weak youth now overflow splendid, intact
in a life grounded on You, let Your light shine through my branches.

[Reference: Vroegherfs (Four prayers during the yearly seasons in the Boland: Early autumn) by N.P. van Wyk Louw]

II. In this graceful spring

In this graceful spring
a glorious sun is shining so exuberant and happy
that I am straying, caught are astonished by Your world
where branches daily get new flowers:

flowers are spreading prettily on almond trees
peaches, apricots en plums are in full flowering
in colours of yellow, pink and snow white
and insects, bees and birds arrive in a wonder world.

where joy now jubilant without pain
is fulfilled in every flower, in my words
appear as Your biggest blessing
while You let glory come down from Your heavens,
that the whole of humanity, knows of growth and maturity,
insects, birds and the whole world shout out Your glory.

[Reference: Uit hierdie ligte herfs (Four prayers during the yearly seasons in the Boland: Out of this light autumn) by N.P. van Wyk Louw.]

III. Now the earth is glowing days long

Now the earth is glowing days long,
in the bright light that shines from a cloudless sky
and the last trees are still flowering
before spring disappears with the onslaught of summer.

Everything is still jubilant with flower upon flower
that uninterrupted find secret power,
in full growth devolving to tasty fruit
binding joy, energy and taste

in a harvest serving the Creator Himself,
gloriously taking us to a magnificent experience
where we admire the magic power of His works
and realize how glorious, overwhelming summer is:

that what once could flower
now turn into the best fruit, with branches full everywhere.

[Reference: Four prayers during the yearly seasons in the Boland Winter by N.P. van Wyk Louw.]

IV. Summer rain

Serenity fell overnight like rain
on the dry meadows of my existence
and uninterrupted and once unobserved the blessings appeared
from Your hand between the thunders that were falling around me.

The whole wide world is soaked where Your waters go
when my adult life suddenly bloomed,
are standing before new splendid horizons,
and dumbfounded I come to the knowledge of Your faithful love.

Here where I am overwhelmed by Your grace
I presume that You lead all paths to growth,
as Your power, life, light convenes in sympathy
where each life at a time comes to fullness

and even insignificant creature are regarded by You
with Your love that shower on sinners as I.

[Reference: Eerste sneeu (Four prayers during the yearly seasons in the Boland: First snow) by N.P. van Wyk Louw.]

poem by Gert Strydom
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Now

When ecstasy’s utmost thrill
is at the core of our existence
and you are above, or under me
with feelings, senses and experience
the moment feels as if it can be eternal,
stretching right through time
to when Adam first adored Eve like this
and when this perfect present experience
filled with rapture captures us together
then I know that it is love.

[Reference: Now by Robert Browning.]

poem by Gert Strydom
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That pain exists is necessary Lord (in reply to Breyten Breytenbach)

That pain exists is necessary Lord,
as it purifies me
and the more I suffer the nearer it brings me,
it brings You nearer to me

and at times Your crucifixion is too terrible
to understand, it torments me
to think that mere man
could act so mercilessly, so revolting,
like the deranged could shout and scream
to kill You, Lord
and some of them murderous
leaning forward and jump up and down

and although Your death is a realisation
of many prophecies,
Your suffering paid the price for the lot of man,
I am still lost
in your unselfish love
that demands from Your Father
to leave the perpetrators without reckoning,
the people that were spitting on You,
the people that hated You
and nobody can understand such deep love,
that does not turn around self, or own profit

but your pain and suffering was necessary Lord
and although some turn their backs on You
I beg You to keep me on the right way,
for Your help to unlearn my own conceit,
that is harming our relationship.

[Reference: breyten bid vir homself (breyten prays for himself) by Breyten Breytenbach.]

poem by Gert Strydom
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Sweet, Suite, Suit my tongue

wake me up in my deep slumber, bath my humiliation
of fancy illusion i compare, just as the beginning of my
youth my heart desire, leaving the ultimate passion
what i have today

the moment of today has come that last forever and
as the night comes to pass, seeing the happiness i wonder
is not but a lay of infinite vacuum of what i felt; the time
i know my heart lives in your memory of existence past,
the submission of my being powerless in your alluring
beauty

standing looks the same, looking back seems a
reflection of time, reaping and catch the harvest of
what makes it different, seeing you only in dream, and
now that i have you, leaving each edges of the moment
of time, i almost drown my emotion whispering the
goodbye of my breath

as today, trust my wishful memory, hug my lingering
joy of full enthusiasm and let, the oracle of the past live
in each experience of trust that leads you and bring your
everlasting love, shooting where the arrows go in the
heart that refresh my soul to you my sweet, suite, suit
lady of my time

you come and never leave..... my heart thirst your beauty

poem by Antonio Liao
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Fragrance of the Star

life is full of fragrances, for each one is not meant to smell
to our own, this is the mystery of creation, one has to give
than to receive, the wisdom of existence lives behind in
each day, as we wrapped the gift that is given to us

it is the perfumes that we emit, that leads other to excel, to
do, of who they are in other lives, as people transcends
behind their limits they too experience tremendous changes
of whom they are in their lives

as life in it self gradually evolved, the trueness of in you
reveals that without other lives our existence is nothing to
live, like angels in the galaxy singing your song with the
joy of alleluia, perfect as to say that the celebration in the
universe is completed with the singing of Handel of praise

it is then a guarantee, that what life man possess is man's
best gift to others, it’s the smell that gives the meaning of
what is a purpose of your driven life, a sharing of breath
that makes a man perfect in the eyes of the beholder and
the holder of our beauty

comes to the enthronement of your fragrance and possess
the perfume of what will be the next tomorrow to come,
always be there, waiting others to smell your sweet breath
for the angel of heaven may sing your song of joy

poem by Antonio Liao
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Spring (So suddenly she appears)

So suddenly she appears
when the end of winter comes,
with the last icy days disappearing
skipping between seasons
with the glory that no other has,
that she comes against winter as resistance,
makes verdure sprout out,
when she unlocks the power of growth,
letting her smile dropp everywhere
while insects and birds are joining her,
she becomes the princess of the universe.

When you think that last of life is pining away,
that nature only fabricates survival
the sun starts to shine hotter,
the first drops falls and go to the depths of the earth
and then you can notice her secretly working,
how she is spreading her wings in merriment,
when everything starts to perish, are going backward
when she forces winter to end
with thunder reporting suddenly quite ominously,
when green plants appear suddenly from the earth,
she becomes the princess of the universe.

Even when in your own life your experience
pain and suffering, in every word and sentence,
with your whole life in painful rebellion,
when it feels as if darkness is systematically subduing you,
when people are in revolt against every principle and law,
when others take over the works of your hands,
when you have to close your last days,
as if nothing can stop the decline,
spring brings endless joy,
her magic inspires you to the end,
she becomes the princess of the universe.

So suddenly she draws her line,
as if she is spreading a net, a web over the whole earth
and glorious is her countenance
when she loves nature, loves the earth
where she dances pure, bewitching and uncontaminated
as if nothing can stop her coming
over the whole earth, when birds whistle in joy
and rejoicing and new life comes from it,
then comes a gigantic revolution against the decay,
as if she has the power over life and death,
she becomes the princess of the universe.

There is something in your consciousness,
when she comes secretly as consort,
in you’re being a type of presence,
a awareness, although you do not sometimes feel it,
that lingers like a secret image, or poster,
even in a world infected with pain and suffering
and even if you do not bother a farthing,
healing comes from it,
she sneaks in gently, suddenly coming to mind
that something inundating is appearing, like the magic notes of a lute,
she becomes the princess of the universe.

poem by Gert Strydom
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Loneliness

Loneliness becomes a 'space' in time where,
Nobody seems to speak to you, you are alone,
Suspended, whilst time endlessly continues,
And your alien existence turns your mind to stone.

Will no one come to break the voice of silence,
Will no one listen, do they ever know
That you alone are calling in the darkness,
Can they to you, some great compassion show.

Many thousands in our world are waiting,
For a word of comfort and a friendly smile,
We must have more concern for one another,
To keep us safe along each measured mile.

Please take the time to fill that 'space' for someone,
Please take the time to speak and to console,
For all of us need love and understanding,
And then, we are not alone, our lives are whole.

poem by Ernestine Northover
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Time

Written by ricki & kim wilde
They say that love is a dangerous thing
And hits your heart like a revolution
And all the pain it can bring
Will only lead to confusion
But now that love has come into my life
Well Ive discovered a different meaning
And theres no danger at all
Its just a beautiful feeling
I konw its wrong to keep it inside for so long
When we both could see it coming
It was just a matter of time
Time
Falling in love with you was just a matter of time
Falling in love with you
It seems so long ago we were just friends
Different people with different faces
Just getting on with our lives
Isnt it funny how fate is
But I know its right the way that were feeling tonight
Cos we both could feel it coming
It was just a matter of time
Time
Falling in love with you was just a matter of time
Baby, I knew with you it was just a matter of time
Something so good was worth waiting for
Now its easy to say that I love you
When youre feeling it too
Cos we knew in our hearts
That is was just a matter of time
Falling in love with you

song performed by by Kim Wilde
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Time knows nothing except

Time knows nothing except
what lies in moments past.
If I could make these moments last
you may know
why I love you
but mere words
are never enough
to tell you.

No explanations really do explain
why there’s winter rain
out of season

and what have made
your heart frozen
while the sun still shines

and what have made
your feelings come back again
and the sun go on its way
to another day

and I cannot tell you
and neither do you know
where our lives
are going to go.

Red roses will flower again
and be given to you
by someone

and if I may
I will still love you
and time will know nothing
except to say
I have told you so.

[Reference: If I could tell you by WH Auden.]

poem by Gert Strydom
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There’s A Kind Of Loveliness (In Answer To Percy Bysshe Shelley)

There’s a kind of loveliness
a kind of unreal beauty,
while in nature it is displayed free
from any unkindness,

and it has the divine instruction to bless,
are present in everything that we see,
are in the best hopes of what we wish to be,
in every tender touch, are caught in every caress.

Its presence is everywhere
and although it is unseen
traces of it can be seen
all about us, right here and there,

in faces that sometimes look and stare,
in places where people had been
and something of it’s is keen
to reach out with a kind of loving care.

Its presence is in every flower,
even the grass,
in stormy clouds that together mass
and in lightning bolts and every rain shower

there is a kind of hidden power
and it’s in every thing that is and was,
even sometimes reflected on the window glass
in every hill with sheer cliffs that tower

and I define what I have written here
as the very presence of the Lord God
and some may not regard it thus, may on other ways trod
while by their choice with their lives He does not interfere

but He is always somewhere near
and to some people this may sound odd
but His will he does not on people prod
and I worship him with love and without any fear

but He is omnipresent is touching everything,
has created all that exists, the way that things are,
and man’s choices left this planet with a scar
while He is still maintaining it and mere men he keeps on visiting.

[Reference: “Hymn to Intellectual Beauty by Percy Bysshe Shelley.]

poem by Gert Strydom
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When The Heartache Is Over

Written by g. stack, j. reid
Once in a lifetime you find
Someone to show you the way
Someone to make your decisions
And I let you lead me astray.
Who did you think you were fooling
Said you were missing me blind
But the truth is I knew you were lying
You were using me time after time.
When the heartache is over
I know I wont be missing you (missing you)
Wont look over my shoulder
cause I know that I can live without you
Oh live without you
Oh I can live without you
Time to move on with my life now
Leaving the past all behind
I can make my own decisions
It was only a matter of time
Sometimes I look back in anger
Thinking about all the pain
But I know that Im stronger without you
And that Ill never need you again
When the heartache is over
I know I wont be missing you (missing you)
Wont look over my shoulder
cause I know that I can live without you
Oh live without you
Oh I can live without you
When the heartache is over
I know I wont be missing you
Wont look over my shoulder
cause I know that I can live without you
When the heartache is over
I know I wont be missing you (missing you)
Wont look over my shoulder
cause I know that I can live without you
Yeah I can live without you
Live without you

song performed by by Vonda Shepard
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Finally

There's a time for glory
and a time for fame
but not for those
who have no name.

There's a time for riches
and a time for wealth
but not for those
who have bad health.

There's a time to be happy
and a time to be glad
but not for those
whose lives are sad.

When is their time
for all these things?
When they tire of this existence
and spread their wings.

poem by Edwina Reizer
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Love Her Beauty

How I love her beauty,
When I knew of such existence,
I searched for ever for her beauty,
Her existence lead me to another
World, another life, when I look up
At the stars the spirit of Picasso
Creates the vision of her beauty
Among the stars, I yearn to look
Upon her beauty for a blink of an
Eye is Hundreds of years, eternity
Between heart beats, a thousand
Sunsets and a thousand full moons
Pass and my search is forever.

poem by Rocky Romance
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There are thousands that act both selfless and brave

There are thousands that act both selfless and brave,
some feel the planet's agony as they love beyond death,
others labour for what is right and good in what they sense
but with great incompetence man lives his mortal life,

some look as visionaries at a world beyond mere sight,
others dwell in the wonders of human form and grace
and in all of this we dwell in the darkest kind of night,
while we live, laugh and cry as members of the human race

and yet there is loveliness in what we experience,
in what we see and act upon and feel at times
as we hope and love and are caught in passion,
as if mere man was destined for something much more.

poem by Gert Strydom
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Lied

It came, the time, never coming, you knew would come
like night, suddenly eliding into day, firing off stars, mists,
crowding out the time that, never going, you knew would leave-
that strange, oxymoronic, dog-paddling cur of an existence
when, smiling, you and I compared impossibilities like fruits,
jealous only of which, apiece, was cleaner, plumper, sweeter-
victory so assured and foregone it was folly to tilt (it
not being the design of any designer to be having his model
lay gasping in the sand, bleeding, bluish guts piling out)
All now ending, suddenly or gradually. Laurels? Sure, why not.
and runcible good health? Ok. Gradually unlearned,
the follies and inconsistencies of our times, but meanwhile,
where the whine of the mower, the soft, gasoline-fume strewn air
the cry of the quail, flush from the underbrush?

poem by Morgan Michaels
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Never in all the years that I am living

Never in all the years that I am living
could I learn to know someone so intimate,
have I been so caught in your love,
did I want to win your heart so desperately;
it's as if I know you from the start of human existence,
as if God has drawn a way for us through eternity,
from the moment when I noticed you for the first time
it's as if you are making me much greater than mere humanity,
as if you are bringing joy for heartaches,
when I awake every morning with greater power
and I know that God Himself is present in your presence
then there is only sunshine in the waiting day
and I wonder why I had to find you after a lifetime
when something so unfathomable strong binds us to each other?

poem by Gert Strydom
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The Last Rose Of The Fall

Her pink petals strewn upon the grass beside her mother tree
In full bloom a thing of Nature so beautiful to see
Where the gleaners of Nature's decay grubs, slugs and insects crawl
Last week she looked so beautiful the last rose of the Fall.

So bare and thorny looking without her leaves and flowers
The rose tree looks forlorn in the cool Autumn showers
Next Summer again pink roses she will wear
The rose tree in bloom has a beauty that's rare.

The beauty of Nature is seen Worldwide
In town parks and gardens and in the countryside
And Nature herself she lives on every shore
The one destined to live forever more.

For the gleaners of Nature who live on decay
The beautiful rose petals on the grass lay
But the rose whose life span can be measured in hours
Her fate it is not any different to ours.

poem by Francis Duggan
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I Love My Life

Every day I hear the news
Seems like people worship pain
All your oprahs and donahues
They just cant explain
As you reap you shall sow
I looked high I looked low
Now I know that I love my life
I love my life
I said me and my creator
We got a funny love thing
Its happenin now and not later
Yeah, thats why I sing
First came thought then came deed
I got caught now Im freed
All I need is to love my life
I love my life
Time, the topic of the sermon tonight is time
Time, the thief of hope
Time, the ameliorator of all our endeavors
What will we do with time off our backs?
We would make this world a perfect place
We would make our lives a perfect thing, if not for time
But I tell you now, time is an illusion
Time is an illusion, time is not real
Time is the dividing line between what is true and what is not true
Between what is real and what is not real
Between what is so and what is not so
But who, I said who, who stands for time?
Who stands at the threshold of time?
Who decides what is true and what is not true?
We do, you and i
You and I decide what is true and what is not true
What shall be our guiding light?
Happiness, I say happiness
But in a world, I see people in a world of misery
I see a world full of sorrow
Why should we be happy?
Tell me why should we be happy?
We need a message from above
Look over there, look over here
I can see it, there is beauty in the world

song performed by by Todd Rundgren
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Ill Be Level With You

Little guy, little hands, little eyes and lots of time
What you gonna be what you gonna see
When your eyes are level with mine
Ill be level with you
I dont know what I would do
If I had to face the things that youve got coming down the line
Lots of luck, lots of health, lots of wealth, little pain
Thats what I want for you but theres little I can do
To put you on the gravy train
Ill be level with you
Youll always end up coming through
But youll find yourself lost in space now and again
But you have to have a world you can live in
Not a world where all the hope is gone
And as long as we are here together
We must build a home for the free
Filled with pity
Not pain
Thats loving and sane
Not divided by hate
And living in spite
til its too late
Life is here
Love will come in the end give it time
Theres wonders still to do and I know youll find its true
That yours will be bigger than mine
Ill be level with you
The one thing I hope you will do is tell me about what
Youre doing from time to time

song performed by by Moody Blues
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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