K'an

His face appears hard from years of work
yet his eyes tell the story of a kind and caring soul.

An English born boy
grows up in South Africa
and spends his days sailing around the world.
Most would hesitate to place an identity on such a man,
yet anyone who’s been to Africa
knows that he is South African.

Something changes in your heart
when you live the life of an African.
Your face becomes more serious;
but your eyes become kinder, your smile grows wider.
And your loyalties lie in the red dirt and roots of the acacia trees.

He has a voice that haunts me long after he is gone.
A raspy South African accent when he speaks
but a young Bob Dylan when he sings.

He is full of contrasts and contradictions
and so I am drawn to him.
My mind says no
but my body and soul say yes.