Kgalagadi In The Kalahari Desert

Sinuous leopard stealth,
thrumming the fibres
of my mind,
wakes me from
my long long sleep. 

The red desert sands
sing through my soul.
Springbok pronk on my heart.
dancing their story of life and death.
Dried up rivers
shrivel my skin
into roadmaps of
this dry desolate space.
And eagles ride the thermals
of my breath
in the blue blue sky.

Stories of the past
are etched into
the bones of my being.
And dappled browns and greys
shimmer in the pools
of my eyes.

Thundering hooves
of gemsbok and wildebeest
echo down the ages
mourning the way it was.
And yipping hyenas
serenade the moon.

 

Marilyn Browne rsm
South African Province