For dversepoets.com
In the movie "Out of Africa", a script which I have for all practical purposes, memorized, there is a scene when Denys Finch Hatten (Robert Redford) mentions to Karin Blixon (Meryl Streep) that there are poems written for almost every body part, but not, to his knowledge, one for the foot. The following is how is goes:
RR: There's lips, eyes, hands, face...
hair, breasts...
legs, arms, even the knees.
But not one verse for the poor foot.
Why do you think that is?
MS: Priorities, I suppose.
Did you think you would make one?
RR: Problem is there's nothing to rhyme it with.
MS: Put.
RR: It's not a noun.
MS: Doesn't matter. Along he came and he did put
MS: Doesn't matter. Along he came and he did put
upon my farm his clumsy foot.
Well, I have written one using part of her line and what else I venture to say may have been added to the poem; author Isak Denison wrote beautifully of Africa; this is an exercise in imagination and my version in the form of an exphrastic poem referencing her work...
He trekked
and hunted the desert
led bartering for tribal independence
for Kenyan territory
for Kenyan territory
He walks the red dirt path to her front door
led by scents of jasmine, coffee
beans, the sound
of Mozart,
beans, the sound
of Mozart,
An after safari post of sweet repose
where good food, wine,
a steam bath can be found
where good food, wine,
a steam bath can be found
He longs to hear her enchanting stories
her mind an almanac and he
with a fine cigar
her mind an almanac and he
with a fine cigar
He views
the porch where they
once napped and drank tea with lemon,
dusts his hat on his khaki right knee
the porch where they
once napped and drank tea with lemon,
dusts his hat on his khaki right knee
The farm not hers
except to cultivate,
except to cultivate,
the Kikuyu and Masai belonged there
She had worked the fields
started a school under the blue gum trees
on the vast plains under hot
African sun
started a school under the blue gum trees
on the vast plains under hot
African sun
humanity's cradle where wild
beasts still run
in the purple haze
beasts still run
in the purple haze
He winces, then
with one last broad step he does put
upon her farm squarely there
his left foot
with one last broad step he does put
upon her farm squarely there
his left foot
Days became years
soul mates in their world of nature,
yet he eluded planting roots
Now overlooking the antelope grazing
soul mates in their world of nature,
yet he eluded planting roots
Now overlooking the antelope grazing
he lies buried there
The lite foot lad and rose lipped maiden
would.like that o'er the farm
now reign blazing sunsets, copper,
oranges and soot
The lite foot lad and rose lipped maiden
would.like that o'er the farm
now reign blazing sunsets, copper,
oranges and soot
created from stories shared there
where once they stood
where once they stood
