THE TRICK OF REMEMBERING AFRICA

 

This was a poem that was written by my tentie the last time I was in East Africa in September 2011. Lisa wrote the poem after there were 6 of us that had done the 6 weeks overland camping trip from Nairobi to Cape Town. I made life- long friends on that tour and I found this poem in my travel diary the other day and wanted to re-share it. Below is the original blog entry that I uploaded…….gee, nearly 1.5 years ago. Bloody hell where has the time gone?

“I am so PROUD of my tentie. She had been working on a farewell poem, to sum up our time together and our experience and feelings and all that god stuff that goes with a trip like this one. As you my blog entry have been made of these marvellous people and Lisa has done a farewell poem. It is an amazing piece of work and it sums up our whole trip so please enjoy it as much as I do each time I read it.

I am PROUD to have you as a friend Lisa.

THE TRICK OF REMEMBERING AFRICA

The trick of remembering Africa

Is the trick of using both feet

A journey is a dusty road rising up to the horizon

It is a new blue sky

Meeting is a handshake

It is two backpacks dropped together

Music is the wind through a truck window

It is a whistled song about the sun

Friendship is a dance under a full moon

It is the hug of a Masai blanket

Laughter is a bird call, a hippo grunt

It is flapping arms and falling cups

Adventure is a jump

It is a white tumble of water

Home is a tent under acacias

It is a circle around a camp fire

Stories are red cave paintings

They are blogs and photos and stamps

Peace is a misty green rainforest

It is the lick of the sea on hot skin

Beauty is the stars against the dark sheet of night

It is the golden plains of the Serengeti

Memories are rocks which hold the heat of the day

They are flashing meteorites behind your eyes

Love is a glance, a smile

It is the one who sleeps next to you

Farewells are the edge of a continent

They are cloudy skies

The trick of remembering Africa

Is the trick of using both feet

Both feet

To follow the tracks

It made across our hearts

…and find our way back

Intrepid Africa Encompassed

60 days Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda and then Nairobi to Cape Town

16 July - 13 September 2011.

LISA JONES – NEW ZEALAND