Home by Alison Hugo

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

I saw this beautiful poem about my amazing country in the menu of Mike's Kitchen. The poem is written by Alison Hugo.

Home

This is no ordinary country, this country of ours.

This is the land of the Atlantic and the Indian,

the bottom of the deepest, darkest Africa.

This is the place people dream of visiting,

yearning for adventure.

The country of mud huts and skyscrapers.

This is the 'it' spot, the heart of kwaito, jazz and soul;

the hyperbole of diversity.

Many worlds in one: the Lowveld, Highveld, Bushveld and Seaside,

Morningside and Transkei;

home to every fashion, flavour, colour and culture you can think of.

Bobotie, koeksusters, bunnychow, biltong -

all the best the rest of the world doesn't offer.

This is where it all goes down and hopes are high.

Bergie, businessman, beach bum, bru.

This is gumboot dancing, game watching, curio-selling and

taxi-driving.

Beautiful , raw, sophisticated, awe-inspiring.

Energy so electrifying you can feel it in your soul.

This is all of the above , all at the same time.

This is South-Africa; this is Mike's Kitchen.

Our sunsets! How can you not love this?

I am proud to call this my country. Even with all the problems, politics, loadshedding- I still love this place.