sommige mense siele                                                          so­me people’s souls
                                          skyn van hul                                                              ­ shine out of
                                          ligame uit                                                              ­      their bodies

anders is betrap                                                     others are trapped
                  vasgevang                              ­                                                              emb­roiled

in bitter denke                                                                                      in bitter thoughts
in bitter dade                                                             ­                           in bitter deeds
opgevreet                                                  ­                                            consumed
deur        ­                                                                 ­                               by
angst                          ­                                                                 ­           anxiety
jalousie                                      ­                                                             jeal­ousy
gierigheid                                                  ­                                            greed
onsekerheid    ­                                                                 ­                     uncertainty

opgetwis                       ­                                                                 ­        twisted up
onbewus                                                       ­                                         unaware

die ompad is die beste                           the detour is the best
    gedeelte van die reis                             part of the journey
       as jy nie verlore raak nie                          if you don’t get lost
kan jy nie die regte pad vind nie                      you won’t find the right path

as jy ontmiddelik op                                     if unexpectedly you
    jou drome                                                        come­ upon
          aankom                                                      ­              your dreams
              sal  jy veras word                                                         you will be surprised

drome is soos                                           dreams are like
     'n fyn skuldery                                           a fine painting
         elke streel                                                 each stroke
              van die verf                                             of the paint

elke kleur                                                  each colour
       elke toon                                                  each tone
              elke emosie                                              each emotion

uitgedink                                               ­    thought out
uitgebrei                                                    ­expanded

en dan skielik is dit                                  and then suddenly it is
wonderlik                                                  won­derful

ervaring het my beindruk                          experience has impressed me
en die fyn lyne                                             and the fine lines                    
is op my vel                                                  on my skin
ingedruk                                                    ­   pressed

                 as ek die lyne streel                           if i caress the lines
                         om hulle te laat                                 to make them
verdwyn                                                      dis­appear
                word ek bekalm                                                       i become calmed

               ontspanning loer in                                                  relaxation peers in
               soos 'n kleintjie                                                        ­  like a young child
                                          wie 'peek n boo'                                                             who plays
speel                                                           ­                    'peek n boo'

drome spoel                                                            ­      dreams spill
                  soos die trek van                                                       like the pull of
                                     die getye                                                            ­      the tides
'n hele oseaan                                                           ­    a whole ocean
                        van lewe                                                             ­            of life    
                                in die verlede                                                          ­    in the past
en 'n hele oseaan                                                          a­nd a whole ocean
                             wat voor my le                                                               ­ lies before me

niemand kan voorspel                                                      no one can predict
              wat sal gebeur nie                                                              ­  what will happen
                           
                 die lyne in my lewe word getrek                                          the lines in my life are drawn
deur die kunstenaar                                                       ­       by the artist
deur die digter                                                           ­            by the poet
deur die tuinier                                                          ­            by the gardener

as ek klaar in                             when i have finished
             die oomblik verdrink het                        drowning in the moment

kan ek                                       i can
asem skep                                 draw breath

in die diepte                              in the depths
               van my siel                             of my soul
                          is daar ruimte                           there is space
                                    om te groei                                   to grow

en die sade                                 and the seeds
wat ek saai                                 that i sow
sal vrugte gee                             will give fruit

as ek elke vrug                      with each fruit i
                        pluk                                    ­         pick
sal daar groot                       there will be great            
tevredenheid                        satisfaction                    
ontwikkel                  ­           developing

daar is niemand                           there is no one
wat jou die pad kan bewys         that can show you the way
*** om jou volle                           how  your full  
potentiaal                                      potential
te behaal                                       can be obtained

jy moet leer                                   you must learn
jy moet experimenteer                 you must experiment  
om die ontdekkings te maak      to make the discoveries

en as jy onseker is                        and if you are unsure
om watter direksie te vat             about which direction to take
moet jy net probeer                      you must just persist
todat                                              until
jy jou rigting kry                          you find your direction

ek loop die fyn lyn                       I walk the fine line
tussen                                            between
sw­em of verdrink                         swimming or drowning

een voet                                       one foot
                  voor                                      ­       in front of
                            die ander                                          the other

stap vir stap                                  step by step

    as ek bekommer                      if I worry
          help dit nie                                it doesn’t help
               die resultaat                               the result
                    is die selfde                                is the same

die lewe gaan maar aan          life just carries on

ek soek die                                   I seek the
         opegewondenheid                       excitement
            van elke                                              of each
            oomblik                                         ­     moment

my sieel                                         my soul
               is gaar                                         is ready
                          om te ontspan                            to relax
soos die                                         just like the

                      springkaan                               ­     grasshopper

moet ek leer                                  I must learn
van die miere                                from the ants
om te bespaar                               to save

die wind
straal
die angst
van my voorkop weg

die skerp sout lug
vul my met
die prag
wat voor my
verskyn

al die onsekerheid
verdwyn
soos sout wat
met water meng

the wind
caresses
my anxiety
away from my brow

the sharp salt air
fills me with
the beauty
that appears
before me

all the uncertainly
disappears
just like salt
that mixes with water

lets just say
there is
           no wrong or right
           no black or white

all things being
                          equal

it is all inconsequential

dance
laugh
scream
cry
engage
enrage
dissapate

transform through time

ek het ware liefde                           i for true love
      my hele lewe                                   my whole life
                    gesoek                                       searched
         totdat ek ontdek                    until i discovered
                    dat die liefde                      that the love
                    moet binne in begin          must begin inside    

as jou pad onseker is                       if your path is uncertain
en jy weet nie wat jy                       and you dont know what you
wil eintlik he nie                              really want to have
dan wandel jy tussen                      then you wander between
die bosse met                                   the forests with
dorings wat jou                               thorns that
                      steek                                             *****

as jy stil sit                                       if you sit still
              en reflekteer                                         and reflect
                    sal streke van lig                               streaks of light
                            en ontdekking                                    and discovery
                                            uitskyn                                         shine out

die bosse sal tans                                the forests will still
                    daar wees                                                 be there
                    maar jy                                                     but you
                    kan die                                                      can
                    pad                                                            manage
                    bestuur                                                      the path
as jy jou hart agtervolg                       if you follow your heart

die wolke word swart
    en vol water
       tot hulle bars
            met donder en
                                      weerlig

ek staan in die reen
       van die storm
                papnat

                      ek lag
                      ek huil
                      ek dans

deur die storms
van die lewe

the clouds
        become black
             and full of water
                  they burst
                      with thunder and
                                                    lightning­

i stand in the
      rain of the storm
            soaking wet

                 i laugh
                 i cry
                 i dance

through the storms
of life

alles het verander
    my hart klop
       soos 'n arend
           wat hoog oor
                die see hang

haar vlerke uitgestrek
haar oog op haar prooi
         elke dag met
                   dankbaarheid
         vir alles wat
              die lewe omtrek

everything has changed
     my heart beats
         like an eagle
             that hangs high
                 over the sea

her wings outstretched
    her eye on her prey
            everyday with
                 thankfulness
            for everything
                 that encircles life

en nou dat alles
     uitgespoeg is
        kan ek weer begin
            om te ontdek
                wie ek eintlik is

                       ek moet regop
                            op my eie voete
                                   staan
                                      bereid vir die storms
                                                en kalmte.

and now that everything
       is spat out
           i can begin again
               to discover
                   who i essentially am

                          i have to stand up straight
                              on my own feet
                                   ready for the storms
                                           and calms.

ek is moeg
en ek will alles
uitspoeg

al die omkraplikheid
al die stres
al die frustrasie

ek wil rus
op eilande
van verwonder

sade saai
met vrede

i am tired
and i want to spit
everything out

all the discomfort
all the stress
all the frustration

i want to rest
on islands
of wonder

sow seeds
with peace

my bloed is rooi
en dit vloei
ek is heeltemaal ingetrek
ek het die maan gelek
en as ek sterrekyk
ek weet ek kan my droome beruik

my blood is red
and it flows
i am totally drawn in
i licked the moon
and as i stargaze
i know i can reach my dreams

Respect is
Earned not commanded, it is
Sought after
Peacefully
Exponentially increasing
Creativity
Thriving to set an example

in the noisy
silence
i sit and dream
of dancing in
the rain, catching
drops as they fall
between my lips
savouring the
silver nourishment of
each
germinating thought
of tranquility

©Jeannine davidoff 2011

table 22

sitting at table 22
wondering what to do
life meanders around
keeping me on the ground
opening options
opening dilemmas
process thoughts
delight in fantasy
develop dramatically
time is ripe
pick the fruit
sally forth

* * * *

here i am again
at table 22
knowing my heart
knowing what to do
(moving on is easy - jack johnson – playing in the background)

To me the whole world
Opened with no
Resistance
Turning my mind
Outside
In
Sensational
Exploration

Between
Each and
Every
Tortoise beetle
Love
Evolved!

the strangest tears
i ever cried
were like waterfalls
sliding along from the corner of my eye
across the brim
letting go
learning to fly
making simple requests

solitary soul in the sea
slovenly storks slide
      (against a grey sky)
seeking satisfactory sensations
             solidifying
    soul searching solutions

I am a little bit brave
and a little bit afraid
I am my goddess and my moon
I am my silver spoon
elixirs
  life potions
love potions
magic brewing
   in a *** of desire
                  to be free
                  from the constrictions
                  that used to bind me
ladidee!

The skies are laced
with the designs
of the creator
lest we forget
how infinitesimally small we are –
the canvas is
drawn with a filigree
that cannot be
captured or copied
for its instant in
time and motion
are ever changing
ever beautiful
ever embracing us
in its azure
rapture.

the world is your home

so may this poem

serve to hone

that feelings are known

to those who have grown

desperate alone

in the city

there are birds that still sing

and waters that bring

life to the human ring

who enjoy

every little thing

that makes them take wing

i like watching

the grey disappear into day

forms emerging from the twilight

conversely i like watching

the day disappear into grey

the forms merging into the twilight

the earth is
quaking and shaking
trembling in her boots
aching with
tumultuous waves
as we try to unearth
her beauty
we seem to be powerless
to actually understand her
we analyze each bit
exploit her seams
and she is like a banshee
tossed
tossing

i go through the throes
of touching my toes
of loving my foes
of finding my knows
of probing the woes
of hitting the lows
of raising the doughs
of creating the shows
of seeking the flows
of screeching through rows
of shedding the blows
of believing in prose
of sharing with those
who celebrate glows
does anyone suppose
i’m through with the throes

the mind of the poet is discreet,

touching the realm

between the dream

and the reality,

finding rhythm and rhyme

where no one else can.

poets colour illusions,

poets seek the truth.

poets see in the dark.

they are children at heart.

it is a while since

the words have mince-

d though my pen

into papermation

so now

for your information

there are swirls

that are curls

around me like waves

in sunrise constellations

brave new summations

filling me to the brim

in an indescribable fulcrum

on which I balance

parched, starched, enhanced!

silver sea

silver sea

the light shines silver

cascading like a molten mass

over saline solution

silver sea

silver sea

will you bury me

deep in your *****

sheltered by the storm

of your wild clarity