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Young Koekemoer (in reply to A. Brodrick)

Way back in the days
of the old Transvaal republic
in the Marico district lived a young farmer

called Hans Koekemoer, who was a great horseman
and a superb marksman
who crossed many rivers with his roan horse

and owned a Martini Henri rifle
and he was a great lover, skilled and sought by many ladies
and no other guy could compete with him

but one day an impi of Matabele warriors invaded the great Marico
burning down farmsteads, raiding cattle and killing farmers,
women and children

and the farmers were called up on commando
riding out on their horses with guns in their hands
and they fought bravely against that impi.

Hans by nature lived up to his name that meant cocky
firing from the saddle, breaking away from the commando
taking on a squad of the enemy

and he even followed them while they were fleeing
in front of him, trying to hunt the last one down
as he feared that they would capture or kill his beloved fiancée Sannie

and to the other farmers in the commando he was missing,
probably killed somewhere and while they rode back victoriously
their spirits were marred as they had lost the best young farmer.

Hans had been wounded and unconscious his horse
carried him to safety and a English missionary
came upon him removing a rusting assegai spear

and nursed him back to health
through a fever, bringing young Koekemoer back to life
over a period of some weeks

and just after his return to his farmstead
one of Hans Koekemoer’s cattle
was ill and he had to care for it through the night

and early the following morning while he was riding in the veldt
searching for a lost cow he saw a gathering of young men
galloping at speed in the distance

and first thought that it was a commando
that had gathered during the night and he rode up to them
and saw them passing a white banner

congratulating a bridegroom and bride and wishing them well
and they were riding at speed in front of a black coach
and Hans was curious about who had wedded so suddenly

and being cocky by nature forced the coach to a halt
and out stepped his girlfriend Sannie, with a Englishman,
a short wealthy shop owner

followed by Sannie’s father old dark Dirk Coetzee
an honourable man, a brave war veteran and a member of parliament
who wanted to know if young Hans had risen from the dead?

Young Hans replied that he wanted to talk to Sannie
the most beautiful girl in all of the Transvaal
who promised to wed him, swearing on the Bible

at the last communion service
and that he Hans could marry any of many a girl
and would instead drink a sip of brandy on her health.

Then lovely Sannie walked up to him
with a glass decorated with blue flowers in her hand
and he shouted: “to your health” before downing it

and Sannie was shaken but did not know why,
she looked into his eyes and forced a smile on her lips
and felt a spark going down into her hips

and he took her hand and looking into her eyes
kissed Sannie and her lips tasted of peppermint
from the shop owner’s kisses before his.

Sannie tied her skirts down before running hand-in-hand
with young Koekemoer
to where the roan horse was waiting on them

and the horse drew away galloping at full speed
while Sannie locked her arms around him
and in vain strong young Weppener, squinty Du Randt

and the rest of the riders gathered around the coach
jumped on their horses to catch up with them
and not one of them or her father
ever set eyes on Sannie again.

[Reference: Jong Koekemoer by A. Brodrick.]

poem by Gert Strydom
Added by Poetry Lover
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