Like the birds on the cover of ‘Seasons Defined’ my soul has taken flight this summer, and with various twists, turns, swoops and sweeps my inner consciousness has been on a mysterious journey. It is an intangible experience, an inexplicable sensation without one specific cause.
Along the way two creative art pieces have become my friends; both affecting me deeply and I’ve returned to them often.
The first is a unique poetry book which I won in a Giveaway by Khaya Ronkainen. This chapbook * travelled from Scandinavia, leaving Finland early summer, only to return with me to Sweden where I savoured it in peace and serenity.
Beautifully bound with golden ribbon and tag, I unwrapped ‘Seasons Defined’ with reverential care and with sweet expectation dipped into the book. Within are sixteen exquisite poems capturing the magic of the seasons in Finland; there follows an exploration of the wilderness, the landscapes, the weather, the wildlife.
‘Hoppers chirp
Bees hum
Fostering species
Flowers bloom
Cotton clouds
Blot the sky’ (From ‘This is Country’)
Furthermore the poems become an exploration of oneself and ultimately love! This collection is a moving tribute to a country Khaya embraced as her own, as well as recognising her roots, and some poems tenderly capture the loving couple of Khaya and her husband.
‘we quench our thirst from a well of love
and agree, love is a beautiful thing
we dine outdoors with birds singing
and agree, it’s time to dance’ (From ‘Wilderness, My Friend’)
Life in all its facets is celebrated throughout!
As Khaya wrote in a personal handwritten inscription to me, I did indeed recognise a little, or rather a lot, of Sweden and its wilderness within the poems. I related directly to the natural world she so eloquently and vividly describes and through her words I saw the wonderful nature anew.
Whilst depicting the enchanting and bewitching seasons, Khaya’s work struck a deeper chord with me as she spoke of the solitude of the wilderness. Not to be confused with loneliness; this is an enriching, rewarding solitude that brings deeper understanding of the world and oneself.
‘I embrace silence.’ (From ‘At the Crack of Dawn’)
‘Deep in the wilderness, I stumble
The track under a canopy of spruce
Draped in snow leads to paradise
Only imagination stands between
man and reality, for in dreamland
Solitude is tangible.’ ( From ‘Winter Dream’)
The very solitude that enveloped me in its soothing arms during the summer and one which is not yet ready to release its clasp.
Throughout the poems, Khaya’s sense of wonder and joy at the nature of Finland is captured with awe and exhilaration. Her unique insight and approach is explained by the fact that Khaya is originally from South Africa. The variances of the Finnish seasons is a world away from ones experienced in the southern hemisphere. Furthermore, her poetry is influenced to a certain degree by the strong tradition of oral storytelling of the Xhosa people. I feel that within the beats of the poems there is a song to be heard, the pulse of the phrases take on a life of their own as they become all-encompassing, over-arching each other. This becomes more evident with each reading, when hidden depths are slowly unfurled.
I cannot thank Khaya enough for this precious Giveaway of both her first poetry chapbook and also of the highly unusual broadside ** of the poem ‘Summer’ with original artwork.
To read more about Khaya & her poetry as well as to buy the print version of ‘Seasons Defined’ click here to go to her website.
‘Seasons Defined’ is also available as an ebook on Amazon UK or Amazon US.
* If like me, you’ve never come across the word Chapbook before, this is an expression from North America and refers to a small paper-covered booklet, typically containing poetry or fiction.
** Broadside were traditionally posters, announcing events or proclamations, commentary in the form of ballads, or simply advertisements.
Finally just as Khaya’s poetry moves me so does the instrumental composition below. Just as the poetry embedded itself within me, so did the music of ‘Awakening’.
From the initial crackle of an old vinyl, the quiet haunting tones of the first bars rise to a hypnotising melody that never fails to lift my heart and mood. The musical ‘Awakening’ mirrors a shift and rekindling of my conscious self.
One comment on youtube writes of ‘Awakening’:
‘Absolutely beautiful, both music and cover. The title is so apt as the shining melody, gently and persistently get brighter. The darker background fights but loses. Five stars Sammy.’
The first 100 or so Steps
Nowadays tourism is the biggest industry in the area – although Cley proved to be quiet, with visitors dotted around the town, coast and visitor’s centre.
Whilst others muttered at the lack of mobile signal I celebrated the return to ‘olden’ days and scouring my purse for coins I headed to the red phone box to call home. Memories of university days flooded my thoughts, my whirlwind of emotions as I recall hours spent calling from these tardis-style contraptions!
Annika Perry 