a poem for Malcolm by Hendrika

Hendrika is a friend and client of Colin and his family in Toronto.  She never met Malcolm but she is a keen observer with a sympathetic soul.  Very many thanks, Hendrika, for caring, and for sharing...
Lisbie x

"...when Malcolm died Daniel forwarded pictures of the funeral. He knew I was interested because I had just recently emailed him about your blog. These pictures and the one of your brother carrying his hoe inspired me. I hope this poem (I’ve just started to experiment with creative writing) reflects something true about what I think I see in those pictures and in Boysie. I hope this poem expresses the respect I feel." 
Hendrika

Malcolm’s St. Vincent Funeral

White hair, white beard, white man.
Green land.
Brown earth.
The red blood that ran in your veins and
the red blood that ran into this ground
are now mingled forever.

You rejected the white sheets and white pillows of the hospital bed.
You chose to suffer on this ancestral land.

You are honoured today by
the red green yellow flowers of this land
the red green yellow people of this land
the red green yellow flag of the promised land.

The bulldozer’s brown slash that leads to your bush grave will soon be green again.

Hendrika Haasen  

"​What a sweet poem rings true!!! I... visited his grave yesterday - one ting noticed it was becoming green again lots of rain"
zen

"...that's a really wonderful poem, I think he would have loved it..."
Rachael