My Rock

“You strike a woman you strike a rock”- 1956’s (S A) Struggle song.

I miss you, my reality director,
I miss you, my old teacher,
I miss you, my cobbler,
I miss you, my klutz preventer.
You are not man-made and your lifespan is long.

You raised me up to challenge the unbelievers,
You taught me that I cannot fix my shoes without having the cross,
You taught me that the spike does not fix shoes,
You taught me that I cannot wash myself without having both hands.

The difference between you and the brick is that:
The latter are man-made and their lifespan is short,
You are not man-made and your lifespan is long,
I have seen bricks being made but I was not there when you were born,
You have survived ages,
You have survived rains,
You have survived storms,
You have survived the strong winds of this earth, because you were not man-made,
Bricks cannot stand the heat as you did.

I love you even if you do not even have a shape.
When the brick proposed to me I refused to marry it, although it has a shape.

I will always remember that you built mountains -
I am referring to Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Everest and the Drakensburg Mountains and the unique thing about you is that you are always on top.
When I grew up you afforded me an opportunity to sit on top of the mountains, which were formed by you.

I remember that when I was a herdsman I would sit on top of that mountain which originated from you, and when I spoke to my fellow herdsmen they would also remind me that our forefathers sat on top of these mountains because you are found on mountains, which are all assembled by you.

I miss you my minder, as you did not mind to mind blow me,
I miss you my minder, as you did not mind to scrap with my “cracked heels”,
I miss you my minder, as you taught me the importance of grey water.

Whenever the storms of life appear, I look at the Drakensburg Mountains and I remember one thing - that is where you originated.
What I learnt about the Drakensburg Mountains is that, this is where I get a solution which has been brought down on my eyes and when I look at the Drakensburg Mountains I see the wiper.
I choose the Drakensburg Mountains because they are the nearest mountains, and I can see them at any time.
I am told that Mount Kilimanjaro is miles away from where I am but once I have looked at the Drakensburg Mountains I know that they are a reflection of Mount Kilimanjaro.

They used a rock driller to separate me from other mountains,
But, they could not succeed because these mountains and I are one because of you.
I witnessed them using blasting to break you, My Rock, but they could not succeed because you belong to the mountain.

I saw drum majorettes and drummers hitting the drums hard so that the sound could be heard “across” but they could not succeed because you were in between.

You raised me up to challenge the unbelievers,
You taught me that I cannot fix my shoes without having the cross,
You taught me that the spike does not fix shoes,
You taught me that I cannot wash myself without having both hands.

But, when I miss you I always look at one thing that is above all and I will always miss you, My Rock.