My Africa Dream...

[Milada (Ms Maritz)]

Due to circumstances, I had to spend the past 2 months in South Africa. The rest of my family (hubby, two teenagers and married daughter with her hubby) are all living in Sydney and enjoying the freedom of being there.

In the meantime, back in South Africa, I had to get back into old habits again like looking over my shoulder, keep my handbag tight, lock the doors, don't leave the handbag on the passenger seat, don't drive alone at night, blah, blah, blah....

At first I decided to look at Africa through the eyes of a tourist. In the beginning it really helped.... South Africa still is a beautiful country. But as time went on, I got tired of that game.... stress, worries and loneliness made it difficult to play along.

So one day I just decided I've had enough of this life, and packed my suitcases and drove all the way to the Kruger National park.... or the Wildtuin as we Afrikaners fondly named it! I arrived the Tuesday at 17:15 and had nowhere to stay and had to beg them for an empty rondawel.... that quickly became my ritual for the next 7 days

During that 7 days I saw amazing things (from lions mating to seeing the Big Five 4 times during my stay) and really soaked up the beauty of God's creation. It was good for the soul, very good.....

I even had the courage - to the total astonishment of my family - to sleep ALONE in the Sable Hide one night..... the nearest human being 9 kilometers away! It was just me, the rain, and Africa.

One night I went on a night drive, and because we were only 3 people on the short tour, it was a quiet and very interesting experience. At one stage the ranger simply switched off the vehicle and we sat there, listening in silence.... and what an experience.... Immediately my mind started drifting about Africa and comparing it to life in Australia..... (oh, by the way - life in Australia won by far!) .... and I started thinking about something I want to write, or actually needed to write. So the following day, while sitting in my car looking at two lions, I wrote this little poem...

Unfortunately I wrote it in Afrikaans, because that is my heart's language.... I've tried to translate it, but couldn't find the correct words, and the moment I struggled with those damn tenses, I realised it was too much of an effort For those of you on Facebook, I've made my Wildtuin photo album available for everyone to see..... so find me on Facebook (Milada Maritz) and you can have a look at the photos!

Oh yes, it will be interesting to you guys.... while I was there, there was actually quite a lot of overseas tourists.... it was very interesting to see their reactions to Africa..... unfortunately, just when I got back, some Netherland tourists were hi-jacked when coming out of the Kruger Park..... sad.....

Anyways, here it goes:

24 November 2009

In donker en stilte sit ek,

Luister na Afrika se naggeluide.

Die sterre skitter in die hemel hoog.

Paddas sing asof die lewe aan hul behoort.

In die verte hoor jy die hiëna se skaterlag.

Maar in my hart kom lê die weemoed sag,

O my Grote God, waarom word ek uit Afrika gejaag?

Sewe dae vrou alleen op safari

Ek geniet elke oomblik, en kan nie worry.

Ek asem God se skepping in

En my gedagtes dwaal ver die verlede in

Na die onbekende Voortrekker

Wat vir hierdie stukkie aarde sy lewe offer.

Met die wilde diere en natuur – as dit is hoe Afrika lyk

Sal ek ook veg tot die dood, totdal al die negatiewe gedagtes wyk.

Maar ons leef in 'n ander tyd.

Dis korrupsie, geweld en 'n gejaag op die paaie.

Jou lewe in 'n oogwink vir 'n selfoon verruil.

Uit volle bors sing ons by rugby wedstryde saam

"Ons sal sterwe, ons vir jou Suid-Afrika"

Maar ek wil nie sterf nie,

Ek wil lewe, ek wil lewe,

Ek wil lewe sonder diefwering en hoë mure.

Ek wil gaan slaap sonder om deure te sluit

Of om vreesbevange wakker te skrik van vreemde geluide.

Ek wil om middernag op die strand gaan stap.

Ek wil my selfoon terugkry as ek dit iewers vergeet het.

Ek wil trein ry en alleen in 'n taxi klim.

Ek wil alleen in 'n bos met my hond gaan stap.

Ek wil lewe, ek wil vry wees.

Ek sit alleen in die donker en luister...

O beeldskone Afrika, wat het van jou geword?

Ek sit alleen in die donker en luister...

En 'n eensame traan loop stadig oor my wang

O my familie, ek gaan verlang.

Milada Maritz

[Tania T]

Milada,

Die woorde is pragtig, Stunning!! So iets moet regitg erens gepubliseer kon word. Ek dink meeste Suid-Afrikaners voel so oor ons pragtige land. Ek dink jy het dalk jou roeping gemis!! Is jy seker jy is nie dalk 'n digter nie?!

[Oosie]

Pragtig Milada, ek stem sommer heelhartig saam met alles in die gedig.

Sterkte

Linda

[Sharese]

Baie nice! Dis 'n gedig wat ons almal kan assosieer mee.

[HouseInOz]

Oh and how I miss the bush and the animals and our camps!

Nobody could have captured the feeling of "loss" better!

At least we have a chance of a new future! The few, the lucky ones. I am just so sad for my family that cannot leave and the old people.

[Veronique]

Wow what a powerful poem! It gives you goosebumps and makes you want to fly back on the next plane, and then it slaps you back to reality and makes you thankful for the paradise we now live in.

I was blessed to have had many weekends in the bush whilst my father owned a game farm out of Rustenburg; but now I have another blessing; I have wallabies, koalas, ducks and a stunning array of bird life in the estate where I live. I get to visit 'my' wallabies every afternoon at sunset and leave my home unlocked whilst doing so. This is my piece of paradise!

[Cramer]

O my Grote God, waarom word ek uit Afrika gejaag?

I think this is how a lot of South Africans who are leaving feel, that they dont have a choice and have to go!

[hagar]

Ek is al amper 26 jaar uit SA weg, maar ek mis die veld nog steeds. Jou woorde het my koue rillings gegee!

[IamInACT]

For the English... I will delete if you want

In darkness and silence I sat,

Listen to Africa's naggeluide.

The stars shine in the sky-high.

Frogs sing as if their lives are.

In the distance you hear the hyena's Skaterlag.

But in my heart, lies the melancholy, gentle,

Big O my God, why am I running out of Africa?

Seven days on safari woman

I enjoy every moment and can not worry.

I breathe in God's creation

And my thoughts wander far into the past

After the unknown Voortrekker

What this piece of earth's life sacrifice.

With the wild animals and nature - if it is how Africa looks

I will also fight to the death, totdal all the negative thoughts neighborhoods.

But we live in a different time.

It's corruption, violence and a rush on the roads.

Your life in twinkling of an eye for a telephone exchange.

Of all breast sing we at rugby matches together

"We will die, for all your South Africa"

But I would not die;

I want to live, I want to live,

I want to live without burglar bars and high walls.

I want to go to sleep without closing doors

Or terrified to wake up scared of strange noises.

I want to midnight on the beach walk.

I want my phone back once I have forgotten it somewhere.

I want to train and alone in a taxi to climb.

I want only in a forest with my dog walk.

I want to live, I want to be free.

I sit alone in the dark and listen ...

O beautiful Africa, which has become of you?

I sit alone in the dark and listen ...

And a solitary tear runs slowly on my cheek

O my family, I will require.