Rick Hoadley

POETRY

Waiting for the Kudu to Die

Stillness stalks the dry bushveld
As dusky light grows dim.
The Kudu’s splendor this plain withheld,
God’s majesty revealed in him.

Dree’s face is grim and pale,
And Yakob says not a word.
The Jackal’s eerie, ghostly wail
Is the only sound we heard.

Save the troubled breathing of the giant beast,
The heaving and panting of his bleeding chest,
We gasped as his breath faltered and ceased,
This noble Bull, supreme, above the rest.

The pale orange sun is hazy and round,
Exquisite end to a glorious day.
The mighty Kudu is on the ground;
Tis’ the Hunter’s time to pray.

My arrow’s wound bleeds jagged and raw,
Heliocentric horns reach the sky.
Natural beauty grips me with awe,
Waiting for the Kudu to die.

In Africa the Kudu is symbolic of Life,
Man’s hope to survive all that will be;
Strength and Faith endures Pain and Strife
And carries man through eternity.

The striped hide and spiral horn
Remind me of you and I;
From the moment we are born
We are waiting for the Kudu to die.

Beyond the Mist

As I gaze into the cool, gray dawn,
I can make out silhouettes of souls eclipsed.
I hear soft voices of those long gone,
I think they are there—
beyond the mist.

In the forest heart I sit my lonely post,
where stillness and solitude are nature’s gift.
I sense the presence of a welcome ghost,
I’m sure exists—
beyond the mist.

As I await the stag to cross my path,
I awaken to silence that fills my ears.
I become aware of all that God hath,
as my mind flies back through all the years.

I can nearly see that sunny smile,
And all the memories that love assists,
Beyond the clouds that stretch for miles,
I know they are—
beyond the mist.

How precious were those days before,
I understand now how we are blessed.
What I would give for just one more
day with those—
beyond the mist.

Rick Hoadley is a Master Instructor 8^th Degree Black Belt in the martial art of Taekwondo. He is a career martial arts instructor with over 45 years of professional experience. He has copyrighted a teaching manual that has pioneered the relationship of Taekwondo to school children’s academic performance. Master Hoadley is a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer, and has co-authored “The Diet” with IFBB professional Mike Horn. This is his first poetry publication.

Next (Katelyn J. Dixon) >
< Previous (J.F. Rains)

Photo Credit: “Kudu” by Pablo Spekuljak, Flickr.com.