Gentleness And Joy

After rushing around all day relaying other people’s words, first my
supervisor’s lines in reports, then the long document on a new plan
to kick-start agriculture in a far-off country, then my beloved’s words
as employer of our domestic help needing an affidavit for the bank

Then the words of an irate attorney who took the government to court
because we are lax in using the eleven official languages with which we
have been blessed - though it is the bane of the government’s life since
everything is done in English only, the other ten languages are just

So much window-dressing with court cases proliferating; – finally I sat
down ready to write my own diary and my mind was blank, no feeling
left - earlier today I bragged to June that Lyrica, the medication, helps
me to do sums, I stay put and do well - then June showed me

Where my calculation went wrong  - I realised Lyrica only helps me to
stay calm while making a mess - I tried to prepare for the French test
yesterday, only discovered how much I don’t know – that’s progress
also - at least I know how BIG the challenge is - though the question

What to do about this has not been answered yet – my only hope for
tomorrow is that I may turn into an automaton, working on texts that
only politicians will read – and my supervisor, of course, she sees to
bureaucratic standards, her heart filled with pure golden love

Everyone brings their sorrows to her and she keeps smiling, improving
everybody’s life with her wise advice; she blows life into my jokes, her
smile makes the sun jealous with its warmth - she checks my attempts
at bureaucratic forms willingly because I was in trouble before

How wonderful to know we have angels among us, we shall miss their
beauty if not on the look-out for their gentleness and the joy they bring
 - without Hanlie Sonnekus – kissed by the sun, a child of heaven, I
would never have been able to survive bureaucracy; two people:

Hanlie and June Fredericks – with the best sense of humour in the world,
who’s smile is worth millions in my book - pulled me through when I lost
my bearings in an administration that did not make sense and maybe still
does not - but it does not matter with them here, their strength can carry

A million worlds with ease, their joie de vivre is unlimited, joy unfettered
as they carry the torch of excellence for perfect translation products –
when I see them I remember my dreams – do you still recall yours?

09/04/13