AFRICAN MORNING SONG - My Symphony of a Morning in Africa POEMS

Poems from:

AFRICAN MORNING SONG – MY SYMPHONY OF A MORNING IN AFRICA 

Music Album - composed and arranged by Dawn Els

(NOTE - Past tense of the second verse is a memory I may experience at times during the moments when I wake up, this could have been with me long before that special morning this song happened since it repeats itself. This had me puzzled for a long time but when I listen to the music I figure it out - its as if I went back to somewhere in the past in my dreams and as I 'surface' back into the waking side of life again, my memory tells me the story. Or it might even be the other way round. Not easy to explain in words. That's why music is a better language for me to use.)

PRELUDE

OUR MOTHER (1989)

Hark, listen to the voice of Nature

How beautiful she sings!

Feel the love and tenderness

Her soft earth brings….

The first notes of the Morning Song

slowly began to ring

as the birds

began to sing.

Night folks scurrying along

they have to rush

to reach their adobes

in the thick underbrush.

A gentle breeze kisses my hair

and I enjoy the smell

that play with my nose...

I’m cast under a spell!

Oh Mother of us all

how I love You, dear;

with all Your richness

always so very near.

Mighty trees cling with giant roots

onto your strength to stand….

even the shy Forget-me-not

has a place in Your hand.

When the sun casts his first rays upon You,

Your face is lifted with glory.

A golden halo is spread upon your forehead

and so enfolds a new-day story.

Sleeping flowers now awake

And open their sweet little wells

Where bees and butterflies

for the whole day will dwell.

The staccato notes of the francolin

Reaching a crescendo then fade.

Suddenly ….

All your children are awake.

MORNING RAIN (2011 & 2014)

    Essential memories are from the thunderstorms in my life I had to live through.   

    Picture memories are from an actual rain storm at South African home ca 2005 and I huddled Dad's canary Pietie Bird in his cage under my skirt. He was so scared of the thunder.

    The main picture of morning rain memory from my hideout in the Maluti Mountains, South Africa, with the most beautiful colours I've seen in my whole life that day, from gold to silver, then grey

and later, as the clouds rolled away, the air was painted with magic, and

the cement surface of the open verandah was wet and covered with bubbles and it reflected
the copper tones of the air around me. I felt alive as never before, I REMEMBERED!

So cool the breeze, pregnant with promise

of rejuvenation.

Mouths are open

breathing the soul

that comes from the ocean.

My morning, you turn from gold to silver -

my new day, I live again!

Clouds roll over the mountains,

small winds bring the first crystals of hope

that life shall go on,

renewed and afresh.

Birds! We hurry in flight and joy

and take to shelter

from where we shall watch

this glory poured upon us,

this great mercy

from our Giver above.

As the rumble draws nearer

we are protected as we sway

on winds of comfort becoming stronger

and the silence that settles for a moment -

still time for late flyers fluttering, reaching home.

Suddenly the thunder is upon us.

The fury .......

My silence makes me immune.

I am strength.

My spirit rises above the storm

and I fly high and see all truth:

There is nourishment, a gentle rain

which is part of any storm...

and I fly back to my home

stronger than before.

Oh pour on me this great love

that I can dance forever in this glory

bathe my soul to purity

wash away my fear

feed me, water me

love, oh love me forever!

We dance and skip in harmony

as our souls meet,

our Earth drinking, quenching all thirst

and we dream of the richness

that we shall have

from this purest of souls.

Hush, what quiet is it that settles,

what is it telling us?

Sing with me, rise with me,

raise with me the new life

for that is what I give.

Condensed I became yet I pour on you

and we become a stream again

where we shall return.

Oh my planes of Africa

your thirst is being quenched

my thirst is being quenched

We dance in delight as one

when the ruby halo is spread

by rays of the morning sun breaking through

The last crystals of hope settle upon us

as the soul moves on

and in this glorious glimmer of red

we see life beginning all over

becoming more an wider

as it streams back to create a new soul.

LULLABY
(SUN IN MY EYE)

Sleep my little baby, the sun is in my eye….

Listen! Little Baby, we talk

And will until you walk

and run after us

and we’ll talk together.

Now all little babies will sleep a while

and we’ll dream a while

as the sun shines in our eyes.

Sleep a while, dream a while

Stay for a while asleep.

Soon you’ll run after us

and we’ll play together

And even too soon will you run

After your dreams…

Beautiful little baby we are happy to see you
and our babies too.

Feel how gentle the sun shines

and see the shadows playing

in the leaves of the old tree where we live

Smell the perfumes of blooms all around .

It won’t be long before you’ll also see

the butterflies and bees

at these tables laid for them….

sweet wells and golden flour

We heard when you arrived in the night

and our babies hatched this morning.

Your mommy gave us a meal

of fresh water and crushed maize

and later left the scraps of her plate

for us to feed our babies

Listen how your mommy sings to you.

We sing with her

to you and our babies

We sing about love

and the beauty of life,

about happiness that we could eat

and feed our babies

We sing about old Hippo at the river

when he slipped down the muddy bank

and all the fish got scared away

and the children laughed.

And the shy bunny early this morning –

he twitched his ears when he heard your voice

and waited

till dawn to see you.

The rain came and even a lamb was born

and the rooster was too wet to crow…..

But we sang our song

of the morning

thanking for the rain.

We’ll have a rich year,

it started with you,

you came with the rain,

You are called Polani

Beautiful little baby

we are happy to see you and our babies too.

Stay for a while little, and in mommy’s arms

for too soon you’ll be running after your dreams.

Chase the shadows under the trees

for too soon you’ll be chasing your dreams

HAMBA! HAMBA!

original poem in Afrikaans (1992)

OPSTAAN!

As die dag nog

vir jou ‘n lourierkrans moet hang

is dit vroeg uit die vere.

Want vyf ure later….

Staan sy hoog en swaar dragtig

en sien dan waar sit die son!

Nou moet ek laat lees.

Sal ek nog betyds wees

met my dag suksesvol?

Hamba boetie, vat die bokke uit,

hamba sussie, maak skoon die potte.

Ons sal weer eet.

Maar nou moet ons weer werk

want die dag gaan nie wag

vir jou en vir my.

Die jong meisies stap met vrolike drome

Om wasgoed te gaan was.

Een vertel skamerig dat sy gaan trou

en almal word bly en hulle lag.

Oorkant die bult kyk die jong man

met dom verliefdheid na sy bruid

en toe hy oor die stomp struikel

lag die ander hom lekker uit.

Dawn Els (AUTHOR)

©COPYRIGHT DAWN ELS 2014 - 2016

More poems might be added in this post over time.