The poem Buhala came about after a somewhat hairy experience on safari in South Africa. My sister in law Sharon and I decided, in our wisdom, to hire a car and head out on safari in Kruger National Park. As Sharon was awaiting spinal surgery at the time, we decided to forego the regular safari expedition package (poor suspension in the jeeps) and head out on our own in the comfort and privacy of our own car, minus the guns and guards. I’m not sure we thought that one through fully!

All was going well until we came upon a herd of elephants crossing the road, headed up by a very protective and very large bull. He spotted us in close proximity to a baby in the herd and was not very impressed. He decided to investigate us as a prospective threat, with a few threatening gestures of his own. After we got over the fright of what seemed like our impending death, we began to appreciate the majestic beauty of these magnificent creatures, in particular the one gazing in our window. I was so blown away and inspired by seeing these elephants and all the other wild animals in their natural habitat, that a poem was inevitable. It came, like all the others, in that space between awake and asleep to the accompanying symphony of a magical jungle choir.