I often find myself trying to explain what blogging means to me — how it’s helped me connect with people, both here in Joburg and around the world. It’s hard to convey though. The only people who truly understand are other bloggers.
I have this blogging friend named Francis. I don’t know Francis personally; in fact, I hardly know anything about him. I know that he lives in Northern Ontario, about as far from Johannesburg as you can get. He suffers from serious health problems that keep him housebound most of the time. I know that Francis writes a blog called Niltsi’s Spirit, and I know that he is an artist. He writes stark, gut-wrenching poems and takes beautiful photographs. I know that Francis loves animals and nature, and his WordPress username is Spiral Dreamer. Other than that, Francis is a mystery to me.
I thought about Francis as I wrote my last post, Spiraling, first because Francis is the Spiral Dreamer and second because I knew he would appreciate Spiral Aloe in the same way that I do. He left a lovely comment, and I commented back.
This morning I opened my email and found a blog post by Francis, called She said…. The post consisted of a 10-line poem. The poem is about me. Click here to read it.
I cried when I read Francis’ poem. A lot.
I don’t have a relevant photo to go with this post. But in honor of Francis, who I know loves dogs, here is a photo I took of a friend’s dog on the Melville Koppies yesterday. Hopefully the friend won’t mind.
Thanks, Francis. I hope to meet you someday…if not in this life, then definitely in the next one.
It was so wonderful to read your blog today. I am also in Northern Ohio. I hope to get to know you better in the future. I enjoy your blof.
Thanks Barbara, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Francis is from Ontario, not Ohio. But you’re both a lot further north than Johannesburg
What a gorgeous poem–and so, so true. Thanks for letting us know about it, Heather.
Hugs,
Kathy
Thanks for reading it Kathy! I’m sure Francis appreciates your comment too.
Thank you so much for this show of friendship, this is better than any award one can receive. I hope I will never make you cry again for whatever reason. And yes, this dog is just beautiful and seems so full of character, it remembered me of Red in the movie Red Dog an Aussie movie I watched some months ago.
Thank You again
Francis
Thank you, Francis. I’m so glad we found each other’s blogs. Don’t worry about making me cry — it happens all the time and I think it’s probably still a good thing for me. All those emotions need to come out somehow. Interacting with exceptional people like you really helps
The dog’s name is Polar and he is only 12 weeks old! He’s quite small now but will be as big as a German Shepherd eventually.
A wonderful post Heather. Francis is indeed a very special person.
Reblogged this on Eremophila’s Musings and commented:
This is all about friendship…..
Well said on so many levels Heather.
Thanks Emily!
Reblogged this on Niltsi's Spirit.
I really enjoyed this beautiful exchange. Very, very touching. Francis was the first person to support my blog when I started on WP. He is a very special person indeed.
Thank you Lemony. And thanks for reading.
What a great post! I have read Spiral Dreaming too and believe Francis is pretty special. I’ve got to spend more time on this blog, but have had some health issues lately. I always enjoy time I spend wandering around in here.
Thank you Thomas! I appreciate your visit and your comment.