Friday 1 October 2010

Beneath African Skies

 

 

turag Niger, West Africa - Tessa 2010

 

 

Children of the Sun and the Wind

by

Mohammed Ebnu

We still live
on the brink of nothingness,
between the north and south of the seasons
We still sleep
on stone pillows,
like our fathers
We still follow the same clouds,
resting in the shadows of thorn trees
We still drink down our tea while swallowing fire
and we walk barefoot not to frighten the silence
And in the distance
at the edge of the mirage
we still watch, every evening
the sun fall into the sea
And the same woman greets us
while she posts lookout for the dusk
in the middle of the map
She greets us, then is lost
in the eyes of a child
smiling from the lap of eternity
And we still wait
for a new dawn
We still wait to begin again

28 comments:

pink dogwood said...

The 'Children of the Sun and the Wind' is amazing Tessa - so is your painting.

Carol said...

:) Beautiful

Caroline said...

Wonderful painting and beautiful poem!

Jinksy said...

and we walk barefoot not to frighten the silence

To this day, I try to avoid all shoes that 'clonk', for the same reason- UK is not conducive to walking barefoot outdoors! Glorious picture and words today...

Cheryl Cato said...

Beautiful; both uplifting & heart-rending.

xxx said...

Beautiful Tessa x

Tessa said...

Thank you all for your comments and reactions to the painting. Does the old ticker a power of good! Flurries of love to you and you and you and you... xx

Holly said...

My Tessa:
Jinksy already capture the line that made me say, right out loud, "Ohhh!" I am not one to gush over poetry as it is an art form which eludes me, but this one? I must copy it and keep it close. Thank you so much for sharing this with me! I adore you.

Lori ann said...

anything that begins with "beneath african skies" has me hypnotized.
i LOVE these words under this painting.
love to you tessa,
lori

Janna Leadbetter said...

What a world that poem paints! It's just beautiful.

rossichka said...

I would like to walk beneath African skies! To feel the magic of colours and sounds,to make small steps amidst wild nature with an open heart and senses for its different beauty, to meet African people, to listen to their music and rhythms... One day... It's a dream for me, but has been a reality for you and I love to see your African paintings, because they possess strong energy, rhythm and passion. And love!
The poem is very, very strong! I found in Google this brief information about the author - http://www.poetrytranslation.org/poets/Mohammed_Ebnu.
Thank you, Tessa, for getting us closer to this magnificent world!!xx

Juan said...

Wonderful painting!

Linda Hensley said...

Love the bright colors.

Karen @ Pas Grand-Chose said...

I don't want to take my eyes off either your painting or the poem - I want to keep both near me always!
I'm with Jinksy and Holly in being moved by that line: we walk barefoot not to frighten the silence. Thank you for both the words and image.
Karen

Eleonora Baldwin said...

Gulp.
What is this yearning still?



Thank you. But I couldn't read this again without tears, so I'll look at your wonderful Niger ladies and sigh a smile, instead.

Ciao my love. be on the look-out for mr postman

Elizabeth Parsons said...

beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Like others have said, a wonderful poem to accompany your seriously fabulous painting.

Tessa said...

Dear Hollyness. – it really is such a gasp-making, evocative and gently lyrical poem. One of my very favourites, I think

Oh me too, golden Lori….just the word ‘Africa’ makes something in my heart leap and dance!

Janna, lovely to meet you! Thank you so much for stopping by. Yes, that poem is a word painting. It conjures up the most wonderful images in the mind’s eye.

Dear Rossichka – it is always such a pleasure to have you visit and to read your words. So eloquent, so delightfully poetic in themselves. Thank you for following me into my world….it is such a huge pleasure to share it with you.

Hi Juan…thank you so much for your kind comment

Hello Linda…nice to meet you and thank you for the visit. Africa, for me, vibrates with colour!

K, I must send you a print of painting – with the poem annotated on the reverse. Just send me an email with your address!

Lola, lovely Lola. The yearning is the magic that Africa evokes in every single person who has ever lived or visited that majestic continent. And, yes, it can make you cry….as well as live, laugh and love in a grand manner!

Darling Rob….thank you, thank you. Your kind words spur me on to paint and paint and paint some more!

Amanda Summer said...

tessa,

it is through eleonora, lori, geli and quite a few others that i come to your blog. i spent some time reading earlier posts this morning and clearly, this is a lovely place to be. we have so many blog-friends in common, and i'm sorry that i have not visited sooner.

how beautiful your paintings are, as is your whole blog. i look forward to returning♡

amanda

p.s. i just read the poem 3 times. stunning.

Amy said...

What a gift! I love the depth and gentleness of the painting and poem.

What medium did you use?

Vicki Smith said...

Very beautiful!

Angela said...

Tessa, I love you, too.

Robin said...

Dear Tessa, - as always, your painting just stuns me with it's power and pulsing of life....and combined with the poem....well, it is breathtaking. (And it made me cry....but in a good way.)

I was at KJ's YART Fair this weekend - I flew in from SF...and met so mant wonderful Bloggers.....I hope your ears were "burning" a bit...because you were discussed with great love and affection.

I am so happy we have "met" and are friends.

Many, many big hugs,

♥ Robin ♥

Heiko said...

Didn't comment earlier, because I wanted to take in the poem. Very evocative of a place that I have always dreamed of visiting but never have. The painting seems to be crying out to be set as a stained glass window on the sunny side of the house. A musical friend of mine here in Italy does beautiful windows like this.

karen said...

Gorgeous painting... I have also just noted your activities at the Willow Manor Ball - most fabulous!

Ces Adorio said...

Dear Tessa,

Look at the bright colors. So full of life, heat, rhythm. Once Bella and I were talking about fabrics of different cultures and she made this observation, that the hotter the climate, the brighter the colors. Hmn, she is right! I remember wearing an orange pantsuit when I was in high school. OMG! I love the bright hues and don't you just love using the brightest pigments? They are oozing with energy!

Tessa said...

Amanda, hello! How lovely to have you visit and thank you so much for such kind comments. Yes, the poem is so worth keeping in one’s head….it is outstandingly beautiful.

Amy – thank you so much…I’m thrilled to bits and pieces that you like the painting and that you found the poem to be as absorbing and goosebump making as I do. (I use acrylics for my work….mostly)

Thank you Vicki, for taking the time to drop by and for your kind comment.

Geli, me darling! Your beautiful, handwritten letter is now in my very special treasure box.

Lovely Robin…I always absolutely LOVE it when you pop round to the Armadillo. Sorry to have made you cry…but a good cry for good reasons is beautiful. Wish I could have been with you all at KJ’s YART Fair…but I was definitely there in spirit!

Heiko hello! I know exactly what you mean about the poem…the imagery it evokes is breathtaking. Come, let me take you to Africa one day…but, remember, once seen it will stay in the deepest place in your heart forever!

Mwah Karen! Glad you like the painting…thank you. The Willow Ball was marhvellous, my dear! Willow knows just how to create perfection.

Cesoak, my darlin’. Heat, life, rhythm…it’s what makes the heart beat and world go spinning around.

Bee said...

I love the jewelled quality of your painting. Your work always brings out the richness (and yet simplicity) of Africa.

My oldest daughter is going to go to Ghana for three weeks at the end of the school year. I'm so excited for her; do you think that Africa will change her outlook on life?