The Serengeti Plain Poem by Gert Strydom

(after Jan F. E, Cilliers)

Long ago the Spirit of God glided over me
when God created everything of which I do exist
and at that time everything was perfect,
my fields and flowers were still untouched
but the snake with its evil
did disguise itself in a tree
and everything was wonderful and good
until man came to sin, pain and death.

I did experience the big flood
when water fell forty days from heaven
and did stretch right over me, when all kinds of life was killed,
I did hear the thunder roaring ominous,
felt the crust of the earth break and tear at places
when the earth did divide into different continents,
did once more see and feel the sun
with butterflies, bees, birds and animals playing upon me

but now I do sleep while seasons come and go
and I lay waiting in my eternal rest
for God to come again over this earth
on His big re-creation day
and the blood of man and animals does flow
while this old world’s time is running out
but continually I am astounded by the day breaking
by flowers, plants, trees and animals
and it’s as if each day comes with new hope.

On my bosom the grass grows luxuriant
where wild game graze peacefully
and here and there a leopard sneaks around
but without fear a herd of giraffes walk past
until a male lion roars in the distance
and then a dust cloud rises
when all kinds of animals go rigid
and gallop away in fear into all directions.

When in the late afternoon the sun hangs lower
Long shadows are thrown by the acacia trees
when a tranquillity and silence lingers
and birds fly up and down and twitter without fear
and baboons gather together in big groups,
while meercats hop up and down in the long grass,
when springbucks triple around playfully
and a crocodile splash into the water.

[Reference: “Die vlakte” (The Plain) by Jan F. E, Cilliers.]