A Tribute to Jessie Foster
My memories of childhood drift
Like lazy clouds across a blue African sky
Their phantom shapes not quite discernible
Their misty emotions forever changing
Storm clouds are rare among them –
Fleeting electric flashes of self-indulgent anger
Dull, distant thunder-rolls of disturbing fear
Most are wispy, white, feather clouds –
Good-weather scripts of promise and confidence
Magnetic spray patterns of compelling destiny
Some are fluffy cotton wool clouds –
Comforting blankets of cosy support
Wrapped around in a warm joyful embrace …
Like my memories of you, Gran
I remember silver pots of steaming weak tea
And feeding fat earthworms in the mulch patch
And tracking giant Matabele ants in the scorching dust
I remember yummy picnics in the park
And fishing fever at the dam
And trips to the mystical Matopos to gaze from God’s window
I remember playful yapping dogs
And sweet spoils from Meikles
And exciting excursions to Eskimo Hut
I remember thrilling pulsing electrical storms
And intoxicating raindrops on parched bush
And scented carpets of lilac Jacaranda
I remember magical sooty overnight train rides
And roadside treasure hunts for carvings
And awesome encounters with elephant elders
I remember your caring inquisitive way
With random strangers on beaches and benches
And you, resplendent in green, at our wedding celebration
I remember always your welcome lap
And your tinkling chuckle and ready mischievous smile
And your safe secure hand folded around mine
Gran, you billow graciously over the horizon of my life –
A shining fluffy cloud of my childhood
Tinted now with shimmering shades of glowing love
An archetype of everything that Grans are meant to be
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.
