I. Beauty
I see the world in your face –
The echoes of your homeland
The whispers of your past
The long song of your people
The memories made to last
I see a face of beauty –
Cheerful and chubby
Tearful and grubby
Tender and twinkly
Crumpled and crinkly
I see you in the morning
I see you late at night
I see you when I’m dreaming
I see you bathed in light
II. Despair
I see the journey in your face –
The first steps of wonder
The twists from the start
The turns of discovery
The path of your heart
I see a face of despair –
Worn out and weary
Beaten and bleary
Rough shod and ragged
Haunted and haggard
I see you in the ghetto
I see you on the street
I see you on the TV
I see you when we meet
III. Hope
I see the story in your face –
The quest for the answers
The courage to fight
The battle of forces
The dark and the light
I see a face of hope –
Wide-eyed and wondrous
Inspired and ponderous
Grateful and giving
Faithful and living
I see you in the city
I see you in the class
I see in the village
I see you when we pass
IV. Freedom
I see nature in your face –
The soil in your skin
The wild in your guise
The rain in your laughter
The sun in your eyes
I see a face of freedom –
Bewildered and bemused
Engaged and enthused
Innovating and learning
Forever sojourning
I see you in the cradle
I see you through the mist
I see you on the wifi
I’m glad that you exist
V. Love
I see the world in your face –
The colours of your palette
The brush marks of your sorrow
The radiance of your vision
The portrait of your tomorrow
I see a face of love –
Compassionate and caring
Shouldering and sharing
Nurturing and feeding
Giving without needing
I see you in the maelstrom
I see you with your smile
I see you in each face I see
You make this life worthwhile
Wayne Visser © 2017
Book
Life in Transit: Favourite Travel & Tribute Poems
This creative collection, now in its 2nd edition, brings together travel and tribute poems by Wayne Visser. The anthology pays tribute to the likes of Nelson Mandela, Maya Angelou, Barack Obama, Antoni Gaudí & Leonardo da Vinci, and reflects on travels ranging from China and South Africa to Ecuador and Russia. Life is lived in the in-between / In transit / Between coming and going / Between staying and moving on / Between here and there / And what we call home / What we call settled or contented / Is merely a resting place / A station for refuelling / A nexus for reconnecting / A junction for changing direction. Buy the paper book / Buy the e-book.
