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A Thought for Today
Expectations are a trap as surely as the flame.
Rod will be away awhile
longer so please remember that if you've written to him recently, he
won't be in a position to reply until his return.
Last week I mentioned that
I thought a dip into the McKuen "Folio" Collection would be
in order and I can think of no better day than today to start this.
What follows are two of my
favorite pieces, the first because it's so close to home, the second
for no reason other than it strikes a chord. As a matter of interest,
"Unseen" was the very first poem featured in the very first
Folio volume. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.
A Lion in the Streets of
Jo'burg
for Derek Hannan & Richard Sassoon, June 14, 1975
There is a lion
in the streets of Jo'burg.
Head high he slouches
padding down the pavement proud,
untroubled by the traffic
not timid or intimidated
by the lesser beasts.
Fenced in by the concrete
delicately he threads his way
along the color line
confused at times
but never condescending.
Proud lion of the street
and city sidewalk
you've made your lair
Johannesburg
like no other place,
circled by green hills
even in the wintertime.
Two million
sophisticated savages
have helped you hew
from gold dumps
and flat fields
a city not a town
in over eighty years.
I think sometimes
the tourist and the townships
ignore or just forget
that this young city
cannot be expected
to be everybody's dream at once.
Perhaps it is enough
that for some citizens
dreams do come true.
Perfection
takes a little time
but it is worth the wait.
For one day the lion
in the streets of Jo'burg
will lie down
with the gentle Springbok.
Even now
he starts to think
in different ways,
to wonder,
and that's a start.
- from Folio # 6, Summer, 1975
Don't forget that our
graphic at the top of the page features some of the terrific posters
available at Stanyan By Mail. They'd make a great Christmas present for
someone special so check them out at http://members.aol.com/StanyanByMail
I'll be back with more
"stuff" tomorrow, please join me then.
- Ken, Johannesburg, November 13
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