Prose

A Short-lived Poetic Romance

Posted on by Khaya Ronkainen

One day on my way to the library, I met a boy. The handsome but rather short boy stepped in front of me and smiled. Without any formalities but eye contact, he broke into a performance, and much to the amusement of students who were sitting in the foyer. He was reciting Keats’ Endymion, for me.

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

As a 17-year-old fresher, I stood transfixed with embarrassment and praying for some kind of miracle to save me. After what felt like eternity, he finished reciting, smiled and left. The highly-entertained crowd was still clapping as I, too, continued on my way.

“How did he know Keats was one of my favourites?” Embarrassment turned into excitement, I was flattered by the attention. When I got to the library, I abandoned all intention to study for an exam that was coming up the next day, and instead headed for the poetry section. As I cuddled up with Endymion, I realised he had recited the whole first stanza; 24 lines! I was impressed. And so, ensured the crush on a nameless boy.

Osteospermum / South African daisy

note: I’m in a serious poetry writing funk, right now. I’m writing everything else, but poetry. This makes me feel as unsteady as the ocean. So, I share this piece (an excerpt of a longer essay I wrote to answer why I write poetry) as way to remind myself that (for me) poetry is a spontaneous overflow…I can’t force it.

Prose

Looking Back

Posted on by Khaya Ronkainen

It’s the Day of Goodwill. The morning is crisp, and the rural landscape a hero dazzles at subzero temperatures. I watch tits through the window gently jostling each other as they feed from the bird table. They seem oblivious the year is winding down. But I take stock. How did I fare on my intention to simplify?

I smile. Not because when I answer the question, “What did I do right in 2019?” I can tally a handful of achievements I’m proud of. But because a squirrel that has been scurrying around a tree, from branch to branch, measuring distance to jump in order to reach the bird table, finally gives up.

Simplifying turns out not to be as simple as the word implies. I’ll say this, clearing physical clutter is a yawn. But the emotional one…try your hand at grasping a shadow! In a nutshell, 2019 had been a year of accepting things as they are, aligning values with action, and letting go of what no longer served me.

Tits remain active, flutter from feeder to the tree and back. They are in their element. And their freedom of being is just so natural as they occupy that space. I ask myself, “What stops me from taking up space and expand?”

Great Tits sitting on a branch

For Poets and Storytellers United.

note: Happy New Year, Everyone! 🙂 Hope it started well for all. As it always is, with updates and changes, my site is sometimes unresponsive. Please bear with me as I try to fix this issue.

Writing & Living

Gratitude

Posted on by Khaya Ronkainen

I. Am. Tired! It’s been an extremely busy second half of the year. Fortunately, the winter break has already begun and I’m truly grateful for it. So, here are my last random things for the year:

1. Unpredictable Weather

We had glorious snow a few weeks ago, and I was almost ready to take my skis out. That snow is now gone but hopefully not for long as it is a permanent feature in some parts of the country.

2. The Mailbox

If you’ve send me letters (poetry books) and I haven’t acknowledged receipt, my apologies I’m not being rude. We had a postal strike here that saw a prime minister resign. I’ll let my fellow countryman, Trevor Noah, tell you about the new prime minister because he does it best. But I’ll say this, each time a woman rises to a leadership position, I celebrate! Anyway, I’m still waiting for delivery on both fronts.

3. A Word for 2020

In recent years, I’ve gotten into a habit of coming up with a word that serves as a guide and anchor. This year’s word was simplify, and I did. But that’s a post for another day.

4. On Looking Deeply

“You do not need to be a poet to see a cloud in a piece of paper.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

So, if I’m quiet and you don’t see me around the blogs, I’m probably looking deeply into the nature of things and working on my guiding word for the next year.

5. Gratitude

On that note, I’d like to say THANK YOU for reading and supporting my writings, as well as sharing your stories with me. It’s been a great year, overall.

Wishing you and your loved ones a magical and restful holiday season!