A Man With A Torch Poem by Gert Strydom

(in answer to D. J. Opperman)

In the bright light a startled springhare does freeze
with its glowing big eyes somewhat touching

as if it does expect a rifle to suddenly shoot
and it's only the hare and the man in the universe

but the man moves on and walks past
catches a klipspringer in the bright burning spot of the light

which does freeze vulnerable as if it has been delivered into his might
where it is eating next to a small calf in the darkness

and a guinea fowl and her chick are also caught in the light
where she spreads her wings like a chicken over them and everything is scared

and when the man walks along just in time the light does catch a banded-cobra
that pulls its head back and hissing does tell of death

but the man does avoid the snake
and even he is now a bit startled and scared

as the road is still far where it stretches through the hillocks
and above him the beacons of God does gleam where they do cover the sky.

[Reference: "Man met flits" (Man with torch)by D. J. Opperman. Poet's note:a klipspringer is a very small kind of antelope.]

© Gert Strydom