AFRO-EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVES: WAYNE VISSER

 AFRICAN DREAM

My Africa!

As white-hot skies give way to bloodshot red
I breathe a sigh and rest my laden head
As dark descends and blinking stars pierce through
I close my weary eyes and dream of you

I dream a dream of genesis
Of teeming wildlife on the plains
I hear a tale of Eden’s bliss
Of sparks of knowledge fanned to flames

I dream a dream of beating drums
Of painted caves and hunters’ bow
I hear the voice of ancient ones
Who weave the web of what we know

I dream a dream of exodus
Of journeys over land and sea
I hear the song of restlessness
That swells with longing to be free

I run with cheetahs, graze with deer
I hunt with lions, know no fear
I soar with eagles, hide in dales
I swim with dolphins, sing with whales

I throb with music in the air
I see the swirl of rainbow flair
I feel the stomp of dancing feet
I sweat with fever’s tropic heat

I gaze into the firelight
I sit in silence, pure delight
I listen to the elders’ words
I rise upon the wings of birds

The rivers are flowing
The brown dust turned to green
The harvests are growing
In my African dream

The fathers are yearning
The mothers’ love redeems
The children are learning
In my African dream

The peace-buds are blooming
The hope-streets freshly clean
The love-stalls are booming
In my African dream

As visions fade, all blurred and bled
My world unwinds like loosened thread
As daylight breaks and jet sky turns to blue
I wake refreshed with glorious dreams of you

VISUL AFRICAN

Africa mea!

Cerul incandescent devine purpuriu,
Iar eu suspin şi-mi sprijin capul greu
Pe înserate când stelele sclipesc,
Închid pleoapele-mi obosite şi te visez

Visez Facerea Universului
Viaţa fertilă mişunând pe câmpuri
Aud povestea strălucirii Raiului
scânteile cunoaşterii ce-au stârnit flăcări

Visez tobe ce bat
Peşteri pictate şi-o tolba de vânător
Aud strămoşescul glas
Urzind al cunoaşterii văl

Visez un exod,
Călătorii peste mări şi ţări
Aud al neliniştii cântec
Crescând cu dor de libertate

Alerg cu gheparzii, pasc cu cerbii
Vânez cu leii şi nu mă tem
Plutesc cu vulturii, m-ascund în văi
Înot cu delfinii, cânt cu balenele

Vibrez cu muzica în aer
Privesc dâra curcubeului
Simt ritmul muzicii
Asud cu căldura tropicală a înfrigurării

Privesc în lumina focului
Stau în tăcere mut de uimire
Ascult cuvintele vârstnicilor
Mă ridic pe aripile păsărilor

Râurile curg
Praful arămiu se înverzeşte
Recoltele cresc
În visul meu african

Mugurii păcii înfloresc
Căile speranţei sunt curate
Lăcaşurile dragostei bubuie
În visul meu african

Când nălucile pălesc, şterse şi vlăguite
Lumea mea se desfăşoară ca o panglică
În zori când cerul devine azuriu
Mă trezesc însufleţit de vise glorioase
despre tine
Africa mea!

Translator: Roxana Drăguşin

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wayne Visser is Founder and Director of the think-tank CSR International and the author/editor of ten books, including eight on the role of business in society, the most recent of which is The World Guide to CSR. His next book is called The Age of Responsibility: CSR 2.0 and the New DNA of Business.

In addition, Wayne is Senior Associate at the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership and Adjunct Professor in CSR at the La Trobe Graduate School of Management.

Before getting his PhD in Corporate Social Responsibility (Nottingham University, UK), Wayne was Director of Sustainability Services for KPMG and Strategy Analyst for Cap Gemini in South Africa.

His other qualifications include an MSc in Human Ecology (Edinburgh University, UK) and a Bachelor of Business Science with Honours in Marketing (Cape Town University, South Africa).

Wayne lives in London, UK, and enjoys art, writing poetry, spending time outdoors and travelling in his home continent of Africa.

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'African dream' is a significant poem of his literary creation. Since 2009, Wayne Visser is a constant contributor to Contemporary Literary Horizon Magazine.

For details see www.waynevisser.com/