After watching the BBC documentary series on Africa, memories of my childhood swirled…
Today, Rick shared a poem on Write Out Loud called ‘Old Time Religion’ and I was totally inspired. His words took me straight back to growing up in what was then, Northern Rhodesia.
Mum with Quinten Quinebelle III or Quicksie for short, in the early 1960’s.
In my African childhood.
We lived next door to a ‘church’,
could hear their fervent chest-beating,
shouting at all times of the day and night.
So could our prize-winning show-dog.
A Beagle barking continuously
can be annoying… but not enough
to warrant throwing an axe
hitting and chopping off her leg.
Her Agricultural show career ended
although she enjoyed the breeding…
We moved away to safer neighbours,
our dog limping through her dreams.
Frances Macaulay Forde © 2019
#POEM:InMyAfricanChildhood #FrancesMacaulayForde #WriteOutLoud #Poetry #Beagles #Neighbours #Church
Oh, no! Did this actually happen?
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By Liz Gauffreau on September 17, 2021 at 1:29 pm
Yes, Liz, it did. Quicksie was a beautiful dog but my brother couldn’t show her anymore because of her leg. Although it was sewn back together, she couldn’t use it properly after the axe severed it. Those devout church go-ers never apologized, either.
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By Frances Macaulay Forde on September 17, 2021 at 3:05 pm