Like water passing between the two mountains
She fell down from Mother Nature, her mother’s prized possession
She was redirected by a calm breeze
Just in time to hit a rock
As she began finding her own rhythm
She had a fire in her that created beautiful waves
And so she carried on and embraced all that surrounded her
Before she knew it, she found her place …her peace
In a river full of tiny pieces of rocks
She lay there, comfortably so
She wasn’t aware that this river she rested in was moving
It was not as fast as when the water came down and it wasn’t as loud as when the waves boiled up but it sure was going somewhere
She looked back and saw how far she has come
She wondered what life would have been like if the breeze didn’t come…if the rocks weren’t in her way
Something about her longed for what she knew
A part of her couldn’t rest just in case another storm hit
She sat there wondering what was to become of her life
She reminisced so much about the past
That she didn’t realise that the river was not still
It was slow but it was surely on its own journey
One day she looked around and realised that she was not in the same place anymore
Her life was going on but she didn’t experience it
She spent so much of her time longing for a place she called home
Just in the centre of the two rocky but beautiful mountains
Heartbroken, she held on to the tiny rock at the edge of the river
It wasn’t enough to carry her
So, she once again fell down
Like the many times….she was not ready nor was she prepared
She took a deep breath and realised that the breeze was cold
She so badly wanted to hold on but her heart was seeking warmth
She sat there, water….tears coming out of her eyes
At that very moment, she understood that the home she longed for existed within her heart
And so she went on and took life as it came
She stumbled upon rocks and found peace in knowing…it could have been worse
She then found herself in a small pond where,
She tried fitting in but it wasn’t big enough for her journey
Kneeling down, she caressed the tiny stones on the ground, and for the first time they brought her peace
They radiated the light of the sun
They kept her alight
She knew that she will always carry pieces of what she used to be
But it was time for her to walk on the ground and taste the showers of the falls
To smell the beautiful scented leaves
To lie on the rocks and look up at the skies
For her present was peaceful
Just like the sound of a river flowing
Jane Mpholo is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, entrepreneur, and changemaker from Botshabelo, South Africa. As CEO of Jane Mpholo Pty Ltd, she is pioneering work in theatre, film, and site-specific performance art. The first recipient of the CCIA’s “Outstanding Actor in Theatre” award, she has performed, written, and produced for national and international stages. Honored with two honorary awards from Onalerona Productions NPC and the Southern Region Women in Media Awards, she is a mentor, producer, and advocate for inclusivity. Through bold storytelling, she sparks important conversations, shaping the performing arts landscape and inspiring change worldwide.
