Those of you with African origin will understand the title.
“Soutie” is a derisive Afrikaans name for an English speaking South African. It is an abbreviation of the crude term soutpiel or salty prick.
Many Afrikaners were of the opinion that English speaking South Africans retained one foot in Britain and the other in Africa. As this resulted in legs far apart, it caused the salination of the dangling nether regions.
I confess that there may be some truth in their assertions
I have just returned from a sojourn in the land of my birth. eSwatini is a landlocked little kingdom in Southern Africa. My brothers live there, on a farm in the bushveld. The eldest, Mpunzane, has late stage Parkinson’s, so the visit was bitter sweet. My wife is in Nelspruit with her sister who has cancer.
Not a fun visit.
Seedy, run-down, dirty, busy, rural houses like weeds in every space, no plan just build.
Too many care less officials and fat police officers. Road markings gone, potholes, beggars, some traffic lights.
Poor but friendly.
Lots of curled lips and curses about the fat, greedy king. Nobody seems to like him, but see his cultural role as still important.
Almost felt like home ….. but not quite.
We are OzAfricans now, settling well in the South Pacific.
This is an untitled poem in Afrikaans by Lidi de Waal, a poet and artist fom the Western Cape in South Africa.
I find Afrikaans to be a wonderfully expressive language – translation below
{*The poem was untitled – this is my title for it)
Where to find happiness *
die lewe is te kort daarvoor
om geluk elders te bly soek
of om daarvoor te bly sit en wag
geluk is nie iewers anders nie
dis nie in ń ander dorp
of ń beter blyplek nie
dis nie in volgende week of volgende jaar nie
dis nie by ń ander partner
of beter vriende
of ń ander werk nie
geluk is hier waar jy is
geluk is in die vrede binne in jou
in die klein stukkies vreugde
wat soms in jou eie hart opwel
life is too short
to seek happiness elsewhere
or to sit still and wait for it
happiness is not somewhere else
it’s not another town or a better home
it’s not in the next week or the next year
it’s not with another partner or better friends
happiness is where you are
happiness is in the peace within you
in the little bits of joy
which occasionally well up in your own heart
sillysocksonfriday 