A poem by my grandson, Gregory on a tortuous crossing of Van Zyl's Pass in Namibia by his father and brother in a 4 x 4 called Ntwa Dumela. Greg says his Dad's name, too, should have been Ntwa Dumela as he, too, is a lion who greets with fire! (I can vouch for that!) <br /> <br />Once there was a Landy <br />Which came in rather handy <br />Namibia was the place; <br />A country of unforgiving space. <br />Touring all dust roads <br />Gears in all manner of modes <br />Up hill and down dale <br />Some as slow as a snail. <br /> <br />The true test was Van Zyl's <br />A pass that is said as one tough as nails <br />Low and slow was the whispered call <br />Lest you take a deathly fall. <br />This we approached with great respect <br />It wasn't, you know, a kerbside mall! <br /> <br />Slowly we ground on <br />weighing in at almost three tonne <br />The trailer pushing its formidable bulk <br />Upon us like a lumbering hulk <br />And sweat pouring down under a sizzling sun. <br /> <br />It took a mighty three long hours <br />But in the end victory was ours. <br />We carved our way over the pass <br />Ntwa Dumela showing its class <br />Like a beast on all fours <br />(And Dad not doing too badly either!) <br /> <br />We joined the many names <br />etched and signed on the rocks <br />To prove we'd crossed the notorious Pass <br />Ntwa Dumela had been oh so handy!<br /><br />Margaret Kollmer<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/ntwa-dumela-the-lion-who-greets-with-fire/
