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Open Poetry #45
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Gilbert Khuzwayo, We Will Look At The Sun And Remember You - a repost
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Open Poetry #45
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Gilbert Khuzwayo, We Will Look At The Sun And Remember You - a repost
| Open Poetry #45 |
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Gilbert Khuzwayo, We Will Look At The Sun And Remember You - a repost |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa 
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GILBERT KHUZWAYO, WE WILL LOOK AT THE SUN AND REMEMBER YOU 17 January 2001 Siyakala, siyakala, uGilbert wethu shonile. We, your two wives, your children, your fellow grooms, the stable management, the committee, the horse-owners, the horses, the children who come here for riding lessons on the school ponies, their parents, riding members, non-riding members, friends of members, the people who delivered or collected, in fact, everyone you came into contact with, - whether once in your life - or every day - we cry our hearts empty and raw. Gilbert, the rivers overflow with our tears. The heavens echo with our calls to you. Our hearts are breaking. We don't understand why you had to go, but God does. He took you early because He needed another angel in Heaven and He chose you, of all indunas, to be an induna of other angels because you were the very best induna here on earth. You taught us all. You made us smile. You made us laugh. We were always happier because of you. We were wiser because of your wisdom. You were always happy. You calmed the angry. You lifted the spirits of the sad. You warmed the hearts of the lonely. You comforted the worried. The horses were shinier, happier, healthier, better cared for because of you. We all loved you, respected you, listened to you, did as you asked, asked your advice. You were our sunshine on cloudy days, our cool breeze in the burning heat of summer, our warmth in wintry weather, our shining light, a very present help, in times of trouble. You never turned anyone away empty-handed - you always had time for everyone - if there was no time, you made the time. We are so glad that you have no more pain. No harm can touch you ever again where you carry out your further tasks for God and all humanity, the way you did here on earth for us all and for our beautiful horses, with love in your heart for all. You were too good to remain on earth. You belong in Heaven with God and the other angels. Your laughter, will live on in the wind, the hum and clatter of the tractor, the clanging of the trolleys, the loud whinnies and soft nickers of the horses, the sweeping of the brooms. It will reverberate through the stableyard, and the hearts of your wives, your children, your family, and your family here at the stables, for we were all your family. You were Our Gilbert, Our Macici. You are still Our Macici, Our Gilbert. You will always be Our Gilbert, Our Macici. We will turn our heads or come round corners, expecting to see your smiling, happy face - and we will. It will be in the sunshine, the blue of the sky, the green of the grass and the trees, the neatness and cleanliness of the stableyard, the smiles and the greetings of the grooms, once the time for tears is over. We will ask you for the same advice, the same information, the same help, and we will feel your presence, and hear your voice in the stillness of our hearts, leading us, guiding us, helping us as you always did. We will read your answers and your messages in the sky - fluffy white common sense against ocean blue in the working day, vibrant, sensitive swirls and splashes - the colours of dreams and hopes - at the rising and the setting of the sun, and reassuring starlight and moonglow in the dark, dark night. Do you remember how you and I used to joke, - amongst so many other things, about your grey tractor-horse that you fed with petrol? Malume cries for his Gilbert too. Every single one of us has our own special memories of you, your smiles, your laughter your warmth. You were an induna par excellence. You never mis-used your position. Everyone looked up to you, looked for you, relied upon you. Your wives and children must be so very, very proud that so many, many people loved and respected you so very, very much. Now you are an induna amongst the angels, But we will always have Gilbert at the stables. Your laughter and your voice will ring everywhere. We will look for you when we hear the tractor starting. We will see you wave above its noise and carrying on with your daily tasks with excellence. We will hear you laughing and joking with the grooms and calling out to each other as you work in the harmony that is Gilbert. There will come a time that our tears will slowly dry although that seems impossible now. When that time comes we will remember you with smiles in our heart. We will forever remember your laughter, your smiles, your good nature, your friendship, your unstinting help. We will not forget you. We cannot forget you. You are a part of our lives. We will carry you here in our hearts. You will live forever in our memory. You will live in the calls of our horses. Each time they whinny or nicker, there will be a message for you, too. Your spirit will be with us always. None of us, alone, can carry the light that you carried in our lives, so we will have to help each other carry on your work of lighting up the lives of all around us. We will do that. We will do it for you and we will look at the sun - setting, rising, shining on high - and we will remember you. That is all that is left that we can do for you, now. We thank you for giving us and the stables and the horses so much of your life and your love. We are all the richer for your gift. And God, please take care of Our Gilbert, Our Macici. Make him feel at home amongst the other angels. They will love him too, we know. Nkosi siyacela ukuthi izinsuku zika Gilbert zibe nokukhanya njengoba uGilbert kade eletha ukukhanya empilweni yethu sonke ebesisebenzisana naye. We loved you, Gilbert. We love you still. We will always love you. We mourn for you, but we don't want our tears to spoil your happiness at being an angel of God. You will want us to pick up our hearts and carry your light, I can hear you telling us not to cry, but Gilbert, grant us our time to cry. It will help us heal. We will not cry forever, Gilbert. We promise that. When we have overcome the irrepressible tears, we will stop mourning your death, and we will again be happier because of you, and we will celebrate your life instead and we will carry your light for you, together, because of you, and with you, because your spirit will be with us helping us do that. But for now siyakala, siyakala, uGilbert wethu shonile. - from Diana van den Berg and Flicka - on behalf of everyone who loves you Owl |
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| © Copyright 2009 Diana van den Berg - All Rights Reserved | |||
Midnitesun
since 2001-05-18
Posts 28647Gaia |
"We will read your answers and your messages in the sky - fluffy white common sense against ocean blue in the working day, vibrant, sensitive swirls and splashes - the colours of dreams and hopes - at the rising and the setting of the sun, and reassuring starlight and moonglow in the dark, dark night." Diana, this is an amazing tribute, and Gilbert must surely have been a very rare man. Thank you for sharing the gifts of his dynamic loving heart. We need more people like him to 'people' the globe, for the sake of future generations. |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Thank you, Kacy, yes he was. He was a groom at the stables for I think it was 31 years, of which at least 15 he was the head groom. Every single year that Flicka was at those stables (and that was 14½ years), I used to rely on Gilbert to know when to start blanketing Flicka and when to stop. He didn't sweat up in his stable at night or in the early morning the way some horses did, so I was able to start blanketing him a little earlier than most horses and stop a little later. If I thought it was time to start and Gilbert said it was too early, I listened to Gilbert. I howled my eyes out at reading this poem again. I posted it in the light of a poem I wrote today about Flicka's messages to me, called Sky Talk, that I am going to post now. Owl |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
quote: Of all of your praise of this groomsman, this is what struck true, clean and clear. I noted the year this was written; something must have reminded you of him when you posted this. It is wonderful when we know people like this; even more heart-warming when we who didn't know of him then, know now. |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Thank you Karilea. Yes, those weren't empty words. I remembered Gilbert in those ways every day at the stables until Flicka went to Heaven too, and I didn't go to his living stables every day, although I have visited them many times since then. At the time I put the poem (I think it was 5 A4 pages, if I remember correctly) up on Flicka's door for anyone to read who wanted to and gave a copy to the stable manageress and to the Lawrence, the groom who took over from Gilbert. Lawrence is also a lovely person. I remember Gilbert often when reading Flicka's cloud messages every day, and unexpectedly when somebody says something about a tractor, or anything else that reminds me of him. Gilbert and Flicka are together in Heaven along with Flicka's wonderful vet who arrived a few years before them. The reason I reposted the poem was to introduce Gilbert to any readers of Sky Talk which I wrote and posted yesterday. I had been wanting to write it for days, and Kacy's poem, Sunrise, Sunset prompted me to do so. Owl |
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Alison
since 2008-01-27
Posts 9318Lumpy oatmeal makes me crazy! |
Diana, I read this poem soon after you posted it and have read it several times since. What a tribute of love! I believe people live on if we share their story. Gilbert Khuzwayo now has a part of me. He is in my memory and I am touched with the kind, gentle, funny, intelligent man he was and is. Thank you, lovely one, for sharing him with me and all of PiP who chooses to reach out and meet him. Love you, Alison |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Thank you, Alison. Gilbert would smile broadly and end with a happy little laugh to hear what you have said! I can see him and hear his voice clearly! Owl |
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Margherita Member Seraphic
since 2003-02-08
Posts 22236Eternity |
Dear Diana, oh how your heart celebrates life, even when it is gone. I think many a King can't say he has received such a heartfelt, poignant tribute when he died. In a way Gilbert was a King too, no doubt. In his world of horses and horselovers he had conquered all with his personality and with his soul, that certainly shone through in all of his activities. Simply awesome write, dear Diana. His family was surely proud of your words in which Gilbert lives on. Love, Margherita |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
The stories behind the poetry are always amazing... thank you, dear heart! |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Thank you Margherita. Yes, Gilbert certainly was a king in his own right. I didn't ever in the 14½ years that we had Flicka at those stables, ever hear anyone say a word against Gilbert. There just simply wasn't anything to say. Usually bosses are disliked by at least some people, but all the grooms under him liked him tremendously, as well as management, horse-owners and most important of all, the horses. Thank you, Karilea. Yes, I like to hear them too about others' poems. Owl |
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Gilbert Khuzwayo, We Will Look At The Sun And Remember You - a repost
