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In matriek op Volkies in 1957 was Paul Gallico se klassieke werk “The Snow Goose” ‘n geliefde voorgeskrewe boek. Dit was ‘n inspirasie; ek het selfs ‘n gedig oor die hartroerende boekie geskryf.
In die eindeksamen kon ek my gedig neerpen in antwoord op die vraag: ‘Tell the story of The Snow Goose in your own words.’ Onderskeiding gekry.
Vanoggend daaraan herinner toe ek in Die Burger lees ‘n dramatise verwerking van “The Snow Goose” kom in die herfs in die Fugard-teater in Kaapstad op die planke. Ek het dadelik ‘n almanak nadergetrek om na moontlike datums te kyk.
My gedig oor “The Snow Goose” het ongelukkig heelparty gebreke. Ek sou nie ‘n “poet laureate” kon word nie, maar vir wat dit werd is, hier’s hy:
White were the sails in the moonlight Of the small boat afloat in the bay, And furious flames licked to heaven And smoke clouds wandered away.
But a white bird came flying and honking Through the darkening mist in the sky, On the brink of destruction it hovered With a queer sense of fear in its cry.
The boat had a ghostly appearance: Its sails were withered and torn, And the man at the tiller was shouting, And the white bird was blowing its horn.
The man was a hunchback and ugly; His hands bent at the wrist, like a claw; But his face had a glow of excitement As only love for the hunted could draw.
He saved several hundreds of soldiers And sailed, with the snow goose above, Back to the lighthouse at Aelder And to Fritha, the girl of his love.
An officer found him abandoned, A bird was perching the rail; The hunchback was badly machine gunned, To return to his love he did fail.
Gaan lees gerus The Snow Goose – of lees dit weer ‘n keer. Dis net 55 bladsye. Gaan woon ook die opvoering in die Fugard by. Ek wed jou dit gaan jou laat goed voel.
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