Ek kom vangoggend weer af op hierdie pragtige gedig van Yannis Ritsos en dit laat my diep dink oor my eie waarde. Word ek minder as wat ek is in die lelike dinge van elke dag?
I’m not listening to you—he says—
I find the hill beautiful
the tree beautiful
the shadow of birds on the grass
and myself beautiful—he says—
in the water
or in the mirror
whatever you say
my part isn’t diminished
in the river or in a rose.
Yannis Ritsos from The Shadows of Birds (1980)