My name is Ana Wind Nymph

(On the river drowning of Celia, Gariep poet)

it ached inside you
life destroyed you far too much
you were such a wounded African woman
you thought no one could ever understand your pain
when you told me river tales in the languages of rain

my name is Ana Wind Nymph
I came back, and now I’m here
let’s blow across the old river, dear

I’ll blow through you, I’ll blow you on
and lift you up where wild waters roar
and thunder down in the waterfall

I’ll blow you on, I’ll blow you with me
and we will blow down, to the sea

gone are the days when your eyes were full of pain
when you told me river tales in the languages of rain
gone are the days of searching for your son
when there was nothing but bread and brandy
your house, your family, your money, all gone

gone are the days of sleeping in the dust
with only the frog man that you could trust
gone are the days of cutting with blades
the scars on your wrists are all in the past

river woman, fly and take my hand
I’ll blow you across Namakwaland
browned by the sun, refreshed by the flowers
where the fires of shepherds burn
in the evening hours

and here you are, and you cleanse me inside
here where we live on the West Coast Land
where you tell me ocean tales
in the languages of sand

river woman, fly and take my hand
let’s forget about your poverty
let’s celebrate your poetry

I blow you with, I blow you with me
my name is Ana Wind Nymph

I blow you with, I blow you with me
I blow you down

to the sea