Dolphin Magic

  Dolphin Magic

I went out into the Bay 

To fish and to play

With the wind and the waves

A passing school of Dolphins

Joined me and joyfully accepted

The fish I offered them 

Then suddenly disappeared.

The next day I set out for some distant shore.

With clouds passing me by one by one.

The seagulls call I could not ignore.

The wind and the waves joined forces with a roar.

That hurried me on the way.

Froth flying from on top of the mighty waters.

The gale had sprung up tearing at the sails.

I thought the main mast would bend and break.

If I did not lower the sheets fast enough.

Through the rain splashed waves

A school of Dolphins surrounded me. 

They ran ahead of me, showing the way.

Although I could not understand why.

I followed them, until suddenly they turned 

And waved goodbye

Now right ahead of me I make out land. 

A giant’s hand the storm lifted the boat almost 

Out of the raging sea wind and waves hurled me 

Over a reef of barrier rocks, 

Into a silent Lagoon, safe and free.

If I live to a hundred I can never forget.

What the dolphins did for me.

By Hillie Feldman    25^th February 2003

Poem -FLOWERS

 FLOWERS

I paint flower if I’m in the mood

I’ll paint anything if it’s good

For my, palette, brush or paints.

It’s always wonderful for me 

  To see, a blank board or canvas.

Turn into living, breathing, beautiful picture.

   A delight to the passing parade.

Johannesburg Sunday morning '93 at the Zoo Lake

      Spring and Summer, Art Exhibition

I set up my easel and a table full of Acrylic paints.

My model a blue Vase, and magnificent variety of Flowers.

I hardly started when a crowd gathered behind me.

   A Press Photographer took a set of shots,

While I got on with shaping the vase and positioning 

   The lovely green leaves, white, red, blue

And purple blooms

Those were the days when I was prepared to battle.

    With the elements  and customers’ demands 

The paint, Seascapes, Landscapes, Still Life and flowers. 

    And anything else, we, fancied at the time.

I’m retired now and don't have to paint

For Rands and Cents, Pounds or  Pence, or 

Even Dollars, or Dimes.

It’s a grand feeling, when you can satisfy 

   Your own Heart’s desire painting

      For the pure, love of Art.

        Flowers any Time.

By Hillie Feldman, November 2003

_____________________ 

Floating Flowers

 I awoke from a dream

so vivid I could smell

the flowers that were floating

in the air in their thousands

covering the sky from horizon 

to horizon.

The famous flower markets of 

Holland could not have coped 

with the masses of blooms 

borne on the winds

from every corner of the earth.

The white of the Chincherinchees

Tulips black, red, pink and gold

Gladioli in pinks, red and white

Roses in every color and multi

coloreds dripping drops of perfume

that teased the nostrils of everyone

everyone, everywhere near this 

heavenly sight.

Hillie Feldman 3rd August 1982

Edited from manuscript by Ronnie Feldman.

Throw away society

Throw away society

If an electric flat iron packs in,

The voices in the background say, 

Throw it away.

If a favorite Hairdryer expires,

A chorus pipes up, loud and clear,

Throw it away

You have a special night light, in case

There is a NY black out, during a car chase 

Taking place on TV, a voice calls out 

It won’t pay you to repair it, just chuck it out.

Whether it’s the kettle, The two ring stove,

The washing machine or damaged clothes,

If you ever suggest that maybe it can be repaired.

My sons amongst others say, throw it away.

I fixed something, quite recently almost as good as new,

After five days for no reason at all, the bloody thing blew

The damage was ten times what it would have cost,

Had I bought a replacement brand new

       I now support the “Throw Away Society”.

My wife and I are members of “The Antique Club”.

Entitled to join when you are over seventy- eight.

        We discuss with love and contemplate 

        the possibility, We could one day be.

  Victims of “The Throw away Society”.

By Hillie Feldman 24^th August 2003

No other Choice

No other Choice

Why must we fight,

 Like dogs over a bone

Others who look on 

Seek to make us atone

For acts of horror we heap 

On each other’s heads

We are left to count 

The Wounded, the maimed 

   Injured and the dead.

After 5000 years you come to light 

With the idea that you do not want Israel 

            In your sight

Nowhere in the Middle East 

You would prefer us in the Med'

  The Red or Dead Sea-

      Ten leagues under.

A little late in historic terms

Time enough for you to learn

That many nations sought

  Our total destruction

But none succeeded 

In this, select purpose.

All those who hated us 

Have been consigned to 

The rubbish heap of history

Had they chosen to build 

Rather than destroy, their Gods

Would have showered them 

With life, and loves rewards.

Even Hitler who boasted his Reich 

Would last a thousand years

Hardly existed twelve, before 

A disgusted world 

Wreaked vengeance for the misery 

Blood and tears, he augmented.

Time and the world will allow

Us no other alternative to this

Combines our people’s wisdom 

And knowledge, to create two States

Living side by side.

We would become the envy of nations

Hopefully attain the happiness

All people deserve and seek. 

We have tried everything else

Over many decades, and now know

We have no other choice.

By Hillie Feldman   8th July 2003  Kibbutz Yizreel

Magic Flower Power

Magic Flower Power

I awoke from a dream

   So vivid I could smell 

    The flowers that were floating,

      In the air in millions and billions,

Covering the sky, from horizon to horizon.

A rainbow from the painter’s palette

  Blossoms and blooms, blown skywards

By the sweet perfumed summer winds 

A Persian carpet, only possible in a dream.

From behind a huge Cedar tree, surrounded by pillars of smoke

      A tall man in a conical hat and black flowing robes

Appeared and waved his magic wand--- shouting out

“I am Boaz the Wizard, I command all the flowers in the air

              to dance a merry dance everywhere"

In Japan people in Tokyo looked skywards amazed

  At flying flowers doing cartwheels and dancing in unison.

     On Red Square Moscow all eyes turned heaven wards

            To enjoy the beautiful Dance of the Flowers.

            As the blossoms and Blooms sailed 

  Around the countries of the globe

Everyone came to a stand still,

to admire this heavenly sight.

Parisians climbed the Eiffel Tower

  To get a better View

            Londoners took the afternoon off

  Cameras, Binoculars and even Telescopes

               were everywhere in vogue.

   

          New York went crazy, crowds rushed 

To the tops of sky scrapers, as the floral

Procession fill the sky with cavorting blooms 

 Poppies and Pansy’s, Petunia’s and Tulips

 Showed their steps to the admiring crowds.

Again Boaz appeared, waved his wand and called out 

“Tulips to the front lead the way to the famous flower

  Markets of Holland where all the World’s

         Flowers loves await you.”

    In that instant the Wizard, Boaz disappeared

As did Millions and Billions of Blossoms and 

    Blooms as they made their dancing way

    to their next and final adventure.

By Hillie Feldman    23rd July 2003

Martian Sounds

Martian Sounds

A man came down

from mars today.

Wanted to speak but seemed

had nothing to say.

Because the language

he spoke was awfully queer

And the earthlings listening

Just could not hear.

No sounds came from Martian’s mouth

only sparks and electric waves

A language ten millennium years

Ahead of our time and space.

With a wave of his arm he disappeared

Currents of Sound soon now appeared

In clear bright lights He defiantly said.

Pull finger get off you fffing    arse

and one day maybe, you’ll catch up to Mars.

8th December 1998 by Hillie Feldman.

The Peace I seek

 The Peace I seek

I loathe lies, dislike deceit

I hate the noises of the street.

Prefer the peace of lonely lanes

the honesty of fresh spring rains.

I shun pollution -- the traffic roar

Raucous cries -- down town stores.

The mish mash of the market place.

The hassles of our sad rat race.

I’m off to where the grass grows green

‘pon the flower strewn bank of some placid stream.

In the shade of willows I am going to lie

while cotton wool clouds go drifting by.

And there in the country I will close the gate

on all the thing I have learned to hate

and slowly, in love with my mate

find the peace I seek and rusticate.

27 Oct 1998 by Hillie Feldman

Passing Thoughts

Passing Thoughts

Why do we seek answers

   for questions that have none?

Why do we build up frustration

  when we could be having fun?

Why to we tear ourselves apart

   over idle remarks?

When we could be enjoying life

   sitting in the park.

The things we fear hardly

   ever come to pass.

On every rough road there are

   some smooth patches at last.

No one ever made progress

   by sulking about his luck

But you can stride out in seven league boots

   if you have a little bit of pluck.

When there are black clouds

   lightning and thunder.

When you feel your whole world

  is being torn asunder.

Then remember the beautiful peace

   that descends after the storm.

A new World of blue skies, singing birds, gentle winds,

       A world reborn.

18^th October 1998 by Hillie Feldman

Lonely So Lonely

Lone So Lonely

For the first time in many years

I was on my own --- No tears

because my mind went back

to long ago when I was a P.O.W.

And in a space of 4 meters by 4 meters

I and eleven others existed horribly together.

Ate together drank together slept together

Endured each other’s night mares, heart stopping screams,

belching, farting, snoring, rolling over, thrashing out,

endless stupid arguments,

that led to blows and beatings black eyes and bloody noses

W suffered together bed bugs, fleas, lice, buzzing flies

Stench of unwashed bodies, boasting, lies, lack of space

Those long black nights when bitter cold allowed no sleep

and Summer’s heat drove us up the walls.

We were Barb- wire crazy confined to the area of the camp

Walked a path along the fence like caged animals in a zoo

That was fifty three years ago, seemed like yesterday

So who could care when today I had freedom and space

on a grassy bank I could lie back and look at the clouds

and luxuriously stretch out and stretch and stretch.

Yet I      was never the less    Lonely So Lonely

24^th Dec.1998 by Hillie Feldman

The Hikers

 The Hikers

Oh the beauty and strength of youth

The sturdy legs of the young

They step out in seven League boots

and with laughter and smiles

They wrap up the miles

in merriment and fun

Oh the beauty of the country roads

how serene the sylvan paths

how tightly they carry their loads 

round trees, over rocks and styles.

Lonely lanes awaken as they go 

Happy voices comment on the scene

When you’re young and in your prime

life’s like a rose colored dream,

Around the campfires they sit and sing

mingled voices join guitars

reverberate through the forest night 

neath a canopy of stars.

One by one the lights go out, 

camp fires no longer alight 

No sound except for gentle snores 

disturb the quietness of the night

Now gentle winds sing through 

   grass and trees

      a hikers lullaby.

1st August 1998 by Hillie Feldman

Poem - Israel the Surprise

Israel the Surprise

Israel the surprise of the century

Nay the Millennium

Almost from the days of the Founding Fathers

was to be eliminated, wiped off the face of the earth. 

Survived four hundred years of slavery 

survived Battles and wars without number

Marched away to the captivity by the Babylonians 

Survived destruction of the Holy of Holies

Their most sacred Temple.

Survived dispersal to the ends of the earth.

cruelty, torture and universal hatred.

The inquisition, the ghetto and history's horrors

yet remained to take part in this modern day.

Even now the nations that closed their doors

To those that survived the holocaust

Are to sit in judgment of how much Israel will retain

and what,  the Arabs are to gain

in the final development.

Mighty Nations have come and gone 

down the pages of History

Each in their turn tried to master us

and now lie forgotten, gathering Dust

while we remain to fight another day

for the freedom of our nation.

26th May 1998 by Hillie Feldman