African Poem

I have used this blog as personal reflections of my own experiences. However, I recently read this poem and had to post it because it sums up so much of what I am feeling as I prepare to leave South Africa. I found it in a great book Awesome South Africa by Derryn Campbell.

I'll be leaving South Africa on July 18th but I know like the poem says my soul is at home in Africa. I'm leaving one home for another, leaving one family for another. It will be a transition but one I am excited about. As I started this year I wrote about growing pains coming here I will have a similar experience coming back to the United States. I am grateful for this experience, every challenge, every frustration, every moment of joy. As always thank you for your continued support.



I Am An African
By: Wayne Visser

I am an African
Not because I was born there
But because my heart beats with Africa’s
I am an African
Not because my skin is black
But because my mind is engaged by Africa
I am an African
Not because I live on its soil
But because my soul is at home in Africa

When Africa weeps for her children
My cheeks are stained with tears
When Africa honors her elders
My head is bowed in respect
When Africa mourns for her victims
My hands are joined in prayer
When Africa celebrates her triumphs
My feet are alive with dancing

I am an African
For her blue skies take my breath away
And my hope for the future is bright
I am an African
For her people greet me as family
And teach me the meaning of community
I am an African
For her wildness quenches my spirit
And brings me closer to the source of life

When the music of Africa beats in the wind
My blood pulses to its rhythm
And I become the essence of sound
When the colors of Africa dazzle in the sun
My senses drink in its rainbow
And I become the palette of nature
When the stories of Africa echo round the fire
My feet walk in its pathways
And I become the footprints of history

I am an African
Because she is the cradle of our birth
And nurtures an ancient wisdom
I am an African
Because she lives in the world’s shadow
And bursts with a radiant luminosity
I am an African
Because she is the land of tomorrow
And I recognize her gifts as sacred