Poetry of the innermost

Poems in Book I of II were written during my trip from South Africa to Europe, on the sunny veranda of Mom's house that represented a stark contrast with its splendid natural illumination to my dark thoughts about the terminal illness of a beloved friend and talented poetess. I continued my journey to places of family and friends, in various federal states of Austria, and my heart felt heavy of flying on to Athens, Greece, where I wished to see my friend and teacher for the last time. I felt a deep compassion for the first time in my life, with last embraces and caresses, a most deep emotional experience that made me immediately take my pen and put my innermost feelings to paper. Back in Jo'burg, the message of her death kept me mourning for her for a long time. I had lost all sense for time and filled the Chinese red and black notebook she had given me as a present. The ink has dried and I wish to share my outburst of pain with all people who can relate to the pain of losing a beloved person.