The Gifts of Mount Olive - A poem about our valley!
Although our valley is rather small
It’s the richest valley of them all.
We all stand together in sickness and health
Mount Olive’s people are its wealth.
For this is the place we’ve decided to live
And these are the gifts that we’re able to give.
Warwick’s the lettuce man – he grows all our greens
He supplies us with spinach and chillis and beans.
Jenny brings brightness and warm loving hugs
She will feed you and love you and top up your mugs.
Do you need big yellow earth moving machines?
In his shed Danie Noppe has the means.
And beautiful Elmi, when she gets a gap –
She can make you a wonderful aerial map.
Almarie Anderson will give you advice
On how to stay healthy and keep yourself nice.
And Vaughan is our medic (when he’s not in Iraq)
So you can’t break your leg until he gets back!
Has your tractor or bakkie broken down?
Jan can repair them at his workshop in town.
And Charlotte is always happy to bake
Her extra special chocolate cake.
If you’re needing a truck, or a load to be moved,
Graeme is the person whose experience is proved.
Elsa can cater and puts on a feast –
Her pecan nut tart is the best in the East!
Grant and Charmaine give such wonderful “do’s”
When they leave for Malawi, we all get the blues.
Carmen and Kelsey, our beautiful girls
Your love of our family is your gift to our world.
Exotic and lovely is our artist Dalene
She and Carl make a wonderful team.
Michael van Niekerk, he’s our Mike No 3.
And his metal work’s really something to see.
Martin helps with fertilizer if he can
And if bees are your problem, then he is your man.
Dizy’s the wine expert – cute and petite
And she also the champion at doing our feet!
Alan – there’s nothing that he can’t repair
If it’s help you need – he’s always there.
He’s the fire fighting expert, he’ll sort our your pump
And he’ll help you to fix up a leak in your sump.
Val’s gift is with words; she’s the family poet
And she’s also the expert on how to raise goats!
Jilly’s the carer, her home is her pride
She’s a woman of wisdom and God is her guide.
She’s our beacon of light and love profound
Her welcome is warm and her smiles abound.
(And her chocolate biscuits are the best around!)
Nana’s our centre – the clan matriarch
As our storyteller, she’s made her mark!
She can knit you warm socks or a nice woolly hat
Or lend you a book – but you MUST give it back!
(And we’re all in her prayers to keep us on track.)
Marks’ expertise is varied and wide
He can find you some ore, or teach you to ride
And Judy’s the best one to ask about bikes
And where to go riding, or do waterfall hikes.
Mike van Rensburg’s an organized man
And whatever you’re building, he’ll print you a plan.
He’s also the guy who takes care of our roads
A big thank you for that, we appreciate it loads.
Sally’s an outstanding hostess of note
And her functions are famous, they get all our votes!
Mike Rochat is our chopper mechanic
But until you have bought one, there’s no need to panic.
Mo and her camera record all the fun
And her albums on Facebook are second to none!
Gary can build you a house or a mall
Or a skyscraper seventy-eight storeys tall
Ashleigh’s compassion will encourage you to talk
She will help you decide on which path you will walk.
Abigail Anne is a bright little star
She’s your expert on books, and she reads without par.
Sophie’s a whirlwind, our cute drama queen
She’ll be riding wild horses before she’s fifteen.
Dan is our “Man”, he’s a tractor fanatic
He’ll be helping you sort out your new automatic.
Elspeth’s our dairymaid, gentle and kind
Her pets and her animals are loved for all time.
Fiona’s your company trouble-shooting ace
She gives sanctuary to horses and a safe loving place.
So this is Mount Olive, its tapestry glows
With colour and life, as the energy flows
It’s not soil, trees and bushes, it’s gifts and it’s love
And it’s sheltered and blessed by the great God above.
Val van Rensburg