A Strong Tower (English version) / N Sterk Toring (Afrikaans version)

By William Van Zyl. Published in 2016.

Deur William Van Zyl. Gepuliseer in 2016.

Poem: A Strong Tower (dedicated to Nena by William)

My mother stands mountain tall
She towers high above the stratosphere
Storms have no business with her
She waves her hand and the waves subside in rapid submission
She knows the Language the storms understand
Yes, she knows the Wave-Breaker…the Wave-Crusher.
She also has velvet in her voice
Her loving and caring velvet words cast a net and embrace
It captures, it uplifts, it inspires, it carries…
“No to mediocrity… always onward to excel” – always upwards!

Gedig: N Sterk Toring (opgedra aan Nena deur William)

My ma staan heuwel hoog
Sy toring hoog uit bo die stratosfeer
Storms het geen vat aan haar nie
Sy swaai haar hand en die branders onderwerp hul skielik aan haar
Sy ken die Woorde wat die storms verstaan
Ja, sy ken die Een wat die branders breek…die Brander-Vernietiger.
Sy het ook fluweel in haar stem
Haar sagte, liefdevole, fluweel sag woorde span n net
Haar woorde omhels iedereen rondow haar
Dit vang vas, dit lig op, dit inspirer, dit dra
“Nee vir gemiddeldheid…altyd opwaarts om uit te styg – altyd boontoe!

Tower of Hercules

The Tower of Hercules has served as a lighthouse and landmark at the entrance of La Coruña harbour in north-western Spain since the late 1st century A.D. when the Romans built the Farum Brigantium. The Tower, built on a 57 metre high rock, rises a further 55 metres, of which 34 metres correspond to the Roman masonry and 21 meters to the restoration directed by architect Eustaquio Giannini in the 18th century, who augmented the Roman core with two octagonal forms. Immediately adjacent to the base of the Tower, is a small rectangular Roman building. The site also features a sculpture park, the Monte dos Bicos rock carvings from the Iron Age and a Muslim cemetery. The Roman foundations of the building were revealed in excavations conducted in the 1990s. Many legends from the Middle Ages to the 19th century surround the Tower of Hercules, which is unique as it is the only lighthouse of Greco-Roman antiquity to have retained a measure of structural integrity and functional continuity.

Source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1312

Jacob Cornelia (Nee Windell) Van Zyl (Also known as Nena):

Jacob Cornelia (Nena) has been a tower, built on The Solid Rock throughout her life.

When she opens her mouth, the Words she speaks changes situations and environments around her.

Throughout our childhood and to this day her Words have shaped and formed the very present and the future ahead. It specifically had a profound impact on those closest to her.

Though she has faced some stormy weather, she has hunkered down; she squared her shoulders, and with courage and faith turned her ‘ship’ into the storm. She successfully conquered the rough seas with the assistance of the Master Skipper.

Today she still stands strong, like the Tower of Hercules, built on ‘The Solid Unmoveable Rock’.

Signed: William (eldest son)

15 February 2016

Mum Nena and husband Charles at Gateway Church - Hamilton, New Zealand (April 2015). Credit: William Van Zyl — *Mum Nena and husband Charles at Gateway Church – Hamilton, New Zealand (April 2015). Credit: William Van Zyl*

Mum Nena & Dad Charles on their wedding day (bride & groom).Credit Nena van Zyl. — *Mum Nena & Dad Charles on their wedding day (bride & groom). Credit Nena van Zyl.*

*William (eldest son) centre with mum Nena right and dad Charles left. Credit: W van Zyl. The photo was taken in April 2015 (New Zealand) outside of Riverhaven, Huntly.*

Bloemlesing op Laerskool (Poetry & Verses book at Primary School)

I remember mum Nena used to cover our exercise books with brown paper and plastic with so much care in primary school. Our names were written on special tags and glued onto the cover page. She did such a neat and tidy job with it. We experienced such pride when taking out those lovely covered books!

In my Poetry & Verses (Bloemlesing) exercise book – I remember very vividly – the name ‘Bloemlesing’ was written by mum on the first page with a pencil and rounded off with colouring pencils. A sketch of a meandering stream filled the rest of the page. Below an attempt by me to illustrate the first page of the ‘Bloemlesing’. Imagine the photo as a pencil and colouring pencil sketch. Two-Point Perspective: In the drawing below, a meandering stream diminishes in width as it reaches the horizon line (mountains), and disappears into a valley beyond. That point on the horizon line where it vanishes is called the VP (Vanishing Point).

‘Meandering stream’. Illustration of the cover page Nena used to draw on the front page of the poetry exercise book when we attended primary school. A photo is shown here to give an idea of the pencil and colouring pencil sketches she used to make for us (Laerskool Frank Van Der Merwe, Saaiplaas, Viginia, RSA). Credit image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_ecosystem

‘Meandering stream through the landscape’. Here I have made an attempt to draw, on memory, the drawing mum use to make in my ‘Bloemlesing Boek’ (Poetry & Verses Book). I have used felt pens (Promarkers) to resemble the typical first page of my book in Primary School, Mum used colouring pencils and her drawings were much more refined than mine. Credit: W van Zyl (September 20, 2016).

Arriving at primary school with a school bag filled with newly covered books, a range of pencils and pens, mouthwatering lunch, and a feeling of being loved is a memory for most of us that just lingers on. When leaving home early morning, with those loving confident words of a mum ringing in one’s head, it acts like a buffer throughout the day – one is able to bounce back quickly and believe in oneself within minutes after failing a task or being reprimanded. The constructive words of a mum are powerful…I am sure we will all agree! The constructive loving encouraging words of a mum and dad acts as a ‘bank account’ for a young child during a day. No matter what negative a situation one encounters, one has a ‘full bank account’ from which one can make ‘large withdrawals’ and still have heaps of ‘money’ left in the ‘bank’if something goes wrong.

Mum and dad use to make us feel very special, and always told us that we could achieve anything. We believed them!

“Be mindful of the language you use to describe your children. They will come to see themselves through that filter you design.” – Lori Petro

Laerskool (Primary School) Saaiplaas, Harmony, Virginia, RSA. Later the name of the school was changed to Laerskool Frank van der Merwe. Credit: Photo taken in 2010 by Malinda van Zyl (Olympus SLR camera E-500).

A view of the pre-primary classrooms (Graad 1 en 2) at Saaiplaas Laerskool (Later renamed to Laerskool Frank van der Merwe). At the tender age of 6 years, we use to spend our days in these classrooms. Credit photo shared on Facebook: Christo Botha “My Sussie (Isabel Havenga (Botha)) het die volgende fotos vir my nou die dag aangestuur!” Shared on Facebook- June, 8, 2016.

This the gate which we used every day to get onto the school premises. Saaiplaas Primary School, Saaiplaas, Virginia, RSA. Credit photo shared on Facebook: Christo Botha “My Sussie [Isabel Havenga (Botha)] het die volgende fotos vir my nou die dag aangestuur!” Shared on Facebook- June, 8, 2016. — This is the gate which we used every day to get onto the school premises. Saaiplaas Primary School, Saaiplaas, Virginia, RSA. Credit photo shared on Facebook: Christo Botha “My Sussie [Isabel Havenga (Botha)] het die volgende fotos vir my nou die dag aangestuur!” Shared on Facebook- June, 8, 2016.

The main entrance to Saaiplaas Laerskool. Credit photo shared on Facebook: Christo Botha “My Sussie [Isabel Havenga (Botha)] het die volgende fotos vir my nou die dag aangestuur!” Shared on Facebook- June, 8, 2016.

Copyright © 2016

Poem: A Strong Tower

Gedig: N Sterk Toring

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of William van Zyl.

Contact:

williamvzyl@xtra.co.nz

However, brief quotations in a book review, references to the website, links to the website, or very short references, may be used. Links to social media websites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) may be used. The photographs may not be reproduced.