Holika Dihan – It's time for internal cleansing
again, a time for reflection of your fragile human
condition. Beware the flaming spitting of Holika, her wrath
her acid demonic breath, let her be as we dance and pray
in our bonfire healing reverie and allow yourself to truly
see.
I see you – Dancing so gleefully, looking up at
the full moon this diamond sparkling neon night of
Purnima, hoping to catch a glimpse of me once again
as you do every year without fear because you know
I will shower you with the colours of the rainbow the
next day on Holi, hoping to be with me, free like me…
Emergence – I cannot help but smile from aromatic
intoxication
and remember your morning essence of jasmine, drowning
me in liquid love; awake! Then partake once again in a
cascade of cleansing colours and know that each one
signifies your many blessings our multicoloured kissing
now breathe each colour and joyfully throw it on each
other as does our nature Mother, to whom I have returned.
Holi – Hurry and spread the good news to all you encounter
it's time for renewal no chance for reckless refusal, forgive
and forget, even those who made you sad, like I said
I see you I know you I remember you I miss you I still
adore you I admire you I still love you but if you suddenly
find it hard just sip a bit of bhang to sing a new song even
amidst the jolly happy throng – Then rest a while
and when you see our loved ones tonight tell them
I miss and love them, that I'm sorry I left them as
I'm chasing rainbows at Holi…
Blue my emotions as they stir and swirl every Holi
Yellow my essence as your smile evaporates my
melancholy.
Don Beukes: He is a retired teacher of English and Geography now writing poetry. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, where he was born, raised and educated in the last two decades of Apartheid, he taught in both South Africa and the UK for twenty years and hold EU citizenship. As a person of ‘mixed race’ heritage, his poetry reflects the racial and cultural battles growing up in a racially divided society and indeed as a global citizen and hopes to adjust our moral compass. He also writes about the socio-political, life and death, womanhood, nature and religion.
Jonel Scholtz: She started painting in 1988, while in high school, with Louise Goudemond, an American born artist, specializing in figurative work and oil portraits. She has exhibited in South Africa in Johannesburg, Clarens, Cape Town, Swellendam, Hartebeespoort Dam and Dullstroom. Internationally, she has exhibited in New York, Miami, Italy, NY at the International Expo in 2010 and the United Nations as part of International Women's Day.