On the Way to Recovery

They met in the desert
Dehydrated, deprived.
Deliriously,
They drank from each other
The cloudy confusion
Of their ardent contact
stark
under a hostile sky.

Mistaking it for his heart
She took his hand
And led him step by step
To salvation.

Thirst is soon forgotten
The hangover of desire easily cured
The saviour readily dismissed.

Let go the hand
Let go the heart
Look to the simple
Structures of safe places

The desert is a point in time
Its boundaries recorded
Passion runs its thirsty course,
then
Dies a natural death.

About the Author

Therese Benadé, author of Kites of Good Fortune, writes about her heritage and upbringing in South Africa and her travels and living experiences on five continents. A Canadian citizen, she lives in Ipswich, Massachusetts with her husband, Jim Armstrong. Her two adult children are Rex and Kirstie van der Spuy. Read more...

Books
  • Kites of Good Fortune

    A story about the lives of the author’s ancestors at the Cape of Good hope in the 17th and 18th centuries. Published 2004. 

  • Anna, Dogter van Angela van Bengale

    The Afrikaans translation of Kites of Good Fortune.

  • Bluestocking

    Set in South Africa between 1880 and 1927, the book explores the intellectual and moral influences on South African women of the ‘head, heart and hand’ education brought by American teachers from Mount Holyoke College.

  • The Layered Life of Tok-Tokkie

    Stories from my life touching on my childhood, my travels and teaching career, on being an immigrant, on learning languages and unlearning racism.

All books...

Bits & Pieces
  • A Layered Identity
    Text and Keynote slides of my presentation to the Harriet Tubman Summer Institute 2011
  • Textile Trip to Gujarat
    Exploring a rich world of weaving, block printing and embroidery
  • Opening
    A cryptic chronological summary of the major events in my life that drove me to live in many places in the world.

All pieces...