Don Beukes writes

richard the first

At the dawn of my primary education, you were the first aggresso  rumoured about – New classmates whispered about your plots and merciless tyranny on unexpected new arrivals. I tried to dismiss your legendary fist fearing to resist your toxic influence but then you failed a year and I found myself too near to your dagger smile veneer, slowly tasting my creeping dreaded fear.

You smiled at me once but I was not going to take any chance in order to avoid reactory revenge – It started unexpectedly you, sitting behind me slapping my head repeatedly with your disciple jonathan cruelly giggling like a drunk brainwashed gargoyle beside you – Me, inwardly screaming for rescue from my ignorant teacher whilst shaking from a hopeless emotional seizure.

Do you realise how you humiliated me disrespected me mocked me dehumanised me belittled me, bullied me? You carried on until I rebelled unexpectedly, after a long while hiding my lonely shame and humiliation game from family and friends – Your daily morning taunting, flicking my ear from behind bashing your fist on the back of my head resulting in my sudden existential revolt, my desperate resolve as I punched you unexpectedly – Filled with white blind hot rage to defend myself, to finally stand up for myself, to save myself.

I knew instantly that I have sealed my fate, as you hissed your spitting shameful hate for my daring rebellion – My  inevitable demise to be realised during first break, your last vengeful act. Only I could hear your warning whisper, your tongue breathing fire into my soul. You waited until everyone ran down the stairs – Your salivating gargoyle blocking curious stares as you kicked me in my eye as I silently cried tears of blood, nowhere to hide – As I sat there swimming in despair Mark found me, consoled me, calmed me. He understood my shame my hidden familiar pain...

I heard decades later of your death – Your reputation fried as I removed you from my memory and bound by my faith to forgive you, even though you were so cruel. You made my school days hell but I survived and no more your bullying victim as I have found peace in my inner sanctum... 

Don Beukes writes, David Griessel draws

Deirfgeis – Veteran of a Thousand Gusts

Legend of Siegfried – His name has been whispered by legions of Bloekomboom trees from eons ago, their decaying poisoned roots now withered, still hold untold secrets of marauding existential battles fought by desperate tserof creatures to prevent an ancient dark force to own their very essence. Desperate for a brave warrior to secure their lineage they turned to a wise oracle named Eniamrahc, she who dwelled in the misty woods of Fluweeltjie high above the peaks of the Drakensberg mountains, there to use her ancient mystic kruie to create a bloekomboom leaf defender, a magical warrior who would rid their enchanted forests from total annihilation and certain eternal damnation. His name was Siegfried, the youngest leaf of the oldest bloekomboom in the kingdom of Belhar who chose him as their elected liberator, as Siegfried's veins held the secret to their liberated future.

The Oracle – The revered Eniamrahc renamed him Deirfgeis, whose sole mission was to calm a thousand gusts from ripping out vast swathes of generations of royal bloekomboom trees, as well as their denneboom and jakaranda cousins whose deep roots have already been poisoned by the unknown invisible dark entity who seem to know the many secrets of the kingdom of Belhar. She offered him dust of boegoe, breath of knoffel, thorns of bitterbessie, armour of okkerneut and finally the oldest wynstok vine staff retrieved from deep within the ancient kangogrotte caves, where many of Deirfgeis' relations have endured countless senseless battles to protect the source of their longevity but many have been swept away by a thousand gusts sent to rip them from their central root system by he who is only known as the Gamdroela,  a jealous broken desperate creature determined to ascend to the ancient throne of Belhar. Only Deirfgeis could now attempt to bring honour to his father, Sekueb Nodmai ruler of the most powerful bloekomboom army and journey to the dreaded valley of Vygieskraal, there to finally stop a thousand gusts from ending his bloodline – He could not turn back now.

Battle for Vygieskraal – The bleskop aasvoëls first saw him on the horizon at the edge of the 

Vygieskraal sourlands, battered windswept and fatigued. It was his wandelstok that convinced them that this was the one who the pine tree defectors whispered about across the slopes of the Sederberg mountains. These vultures have roamed the darkened skies in service of their master, whose very existence was fueled for this epic moment, the arrival of the youngest leaf of Sekueb Nodmai, ruler of the mighty legendary bloekomboom tree army with whom he shares a secret bloodline yet to be revealed and his tainted inheritance royally sealed. As his aerial spies reported on the expected arrival, the Gamdroela released the first wave of swirling gusts to challenge the young Deirfgeis and determine his weakness on this existential consequential revelatory doomed quest for he is surely a welcome fragile guest. The time has come for permanent deletion necessary annihilation, long overdue cessation – This bloekomboom savior will never return victorious as the force of a thousand gusts will end him into fine windswept dust his final crush nothing can stop this…

My Name is Deirfgeis – The first spiral onslaught nearly tore through him although his mystical veneer suffered some perforation caused by fiery darts pummeled by a thousand gusts from subterranean volcanic ash – It did not deter this determined princely warrior who knew that this final moment would seal his foretold future and overthrow a lonely broken homeless nationless doomed creature. As knife edge grass blades briefly pierced his enhanced armoured body and more gusts attempted to end his victorious quest, Deirfgeis noticed a dark almost familiar shadow descend from a rocky outcrop above him. Elongated burnt branches attempted to sweep him up into a rush of air whilst an ominous voice whispered, “You will never return to ascend your promised throne, for I am Gamdroela the eldest heir to the kingdom of Belhar and the true annointed leader of our father's mighty bloekomboom tree army. I have been banished neglected forgotten but I will end you here, now!” As he said this, Deirfgeis reached into his okkerneut arsenal on his back and as he moved forward whilst holding up the powerful ancient vine wandelstok staff given to him by Eniamrahc, he uttered these words as he threw the contents of his herbal weaponry towards the Gamdroela, “Our battle has been foretold heed to my wandelstok and submit to the will of our father, king of a formidable bloekomboom army – Your selfish twisted intentions were born from your poisoned mind denying your true heritage submit to me and taste once again peaceful reverie but I warn you, defy me and you will surely witness my annointed herbal armory designed to pulverize you in an instant but if you appear hesitant I might rescind for I am your executor and your saviour – I am your end and your beginning –

My name is Deirfgeis, veteran of a thousand gusts…

Siegfried

Don Beukes writes

Shadow Love

Love burns without prior warning

or even manifests itself just by

finally locking eyes with the right

one, however long it takes to find

each other in this vast ocean of

humanity – A smile a touch an

accidental skin brush ignites a spark

momentarily disintegrating the dark -

As love grows and comes to fruition

it becomes our life-long mission to

fight for it, protect it, embrace it

but nothing's changed – The world might

feel liberated from old notions of

biblical taboos, who to choose -

Connecting life's clues but we

know the truth – A smirk, a cutting

remark made in jest, a social comment

in silent protest – To truly love is

admittedly tough, as we valiantly

defend -

Our shadow love...

 Falling in Love Again -- James Christensen