tussen die kriek en die stilte

~ English translation at the bottom ~

ek soek daai element

dit is nie klip

dit is nie water

dit is nie lug

dit is nie aarde

dit is nie vuur

dit is nie mineraal

dit is nie plant

dit is nie metaal

dit vloei nie

dit lê nie

dit groei nie

dit brand nie

tog is dit daar

ek soek daai element

daai iets wat die donker woud op

‘n windlose volmaan-nag

so perfek aanmekaar hou

daar waarin die insekte en voëls

die oorlewing-sparteling vir

‘n wyle

laat vaar

en

net 

stil

word

dit lyk asof al die ander elemente

leef vir hierdie een element

die element wat eenvoudig net hang

dik en ryk

ja dit is ‘n hang-gevoel

so ‘n lywige sensasie  in die neusgate

wat die asemteug eindeloos laat strek

tot in die einder van die longe

hierdie element is waaragtig ‘n noodsaaklikheid

dit is die gom tussen

organika en habitat

daai iets tussen die kriek en die stilte

dit is die heenkome vir verdwaling

dit is die lig wat bly hang in die oog

al het die donker gedaal

en die ooglede toegeval

mens vang nie hierdie element vas nie

dit sal jou ontwyk as jy ander kant toe kyk

en tog, as dit eers aan jou verhemelte gelek het

het dit jou siel verewig gemerk

dit is die element wat die oer-oorsaak is

van rusteloosheid

jy wil dit vashou 

jy wil dit vasklou

jy blameer dit – regverdiglik – vir jou geluk

jou binnenste weet dat

dit ook die wortel is

van

ongeëwenaarde saligheid en

jou hele lewe lank

sal jy daarna bly honger

between the cricket and the silence

i am searching for that element

it is not stone

it is not water

it is not air

it is not earth

it is not fire

it is not mineral

it is not plant

it is not metal

it does not flow

it does not lie down

it does not grow

it does not burn

yet it is there

i am searching for that element

that something that holds together

the dark forest on

a windless full-moon-night

there wherein the insects and birds

let go of

the survival-bustle for

a while

and

become

silent

it seems that all the other elements

live for this one element

the element that simply hangs

thick and rich

in

the

air

yes it is a hanging feeling

such a full-bodied sensation in the nostrils

that endlessly stretches the breath

to the furthest ends of the lungs

this element is veraciously a necessity

it is the glue between

organica and habitat

that something between the cricket and silence

it is the sanctuary for lostness

it is light that stays hanging in the eye

long after the darkness has descended

and the eyelids have closed

one does not capture this element

it will elude you if you look the other way

and yet once you have stood in it and

felt it licking on your palate

it has marked your soul forever

it is the element that is the root cause

of restlessness

you want to hold and cling onto it

you blame it – rightfully – for your happiness

yet your innards know that

it is also the source

of

unequaled beatitude and

your whole life

you will

hunger for it