One of the things that I have learnt about getting older is that ones time tends to become fuller and fuller. Often the things which matter most get pressed to one-side with the 'day-to-day' chaos that seems to take over. So I felt that it has been well-overdue for Feebs and I to make some time for each other and rekindle those flames. To do this, I decided on a grand epic romantic adventure hiking through the Schoemanskloof. I'll admit that romance and hiking are not a logical pair, but I was convinced that I could put something very special together for the two of us. Bella went to her Ganna and we made our way to the mountains. The three days spent hiking and camping in an isolation that was free of cellphones and other people was absolute bliss. I'm not going to write the memories down because selfishly I want to keep them to myself suffice to say we rediscovered what made us such a good couple in the first place. A stuttering of fireflies follows the river downstream, Their breathless green glows like the constellations overhead. We watch the celestial surprize while lying on our backs Heads nestles in necks and a wrapping of arms. Through a canopy of winnowing trees overhead Stars blink through leafy shadows. In the grassland of our riverine refuge Termite mounds erupt flying ants. Their lace of translucent wings shimmering As each one is spat from the ground Searching for new colonies, new possibilities. And we can hear the paper-rustle of their movements. The sound of cacophonous frogs Pirouettes in trebles from the water Matching and competing, their sounds annotate the night Rising and falling like the ebb of our breathing Halted by the whip-snap of thunder And the plush splatter of raindrops. We retreat to our tent, watching water dribble On the outside of canvass. Lightning illuminates our faces And the dull thud of thunder Brings with it wind and storm. And silence. I smile at a good day that has come from the ache of walking The warm throb of my shoulders; Laughter on a meandering mountain trail Shared with bushbuck and zebras. I think about plunging deep into the river And splashing like children in heart-quenching water. Of intimate conversations About life and possibilities and dreams. Narrated by voices from the wilderness: Red-winged louries or the bark of baboons. Sharing joys and inhibitions. Of simple treasures And a knowing smile of a marriage re-found. There is something about being lost in the wilderness where we can rediscover our souls and our purpose. It provides clarity and hope.
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ContentSome thoughts about things, sometimes philosophical, sometimes just musings. The world through my eyes... Archives
March 2023
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