NKWALENI VALLEY
Zululand, Zululand,
Road of burning sun,
Dusted drumbeats of red dirt,
Nurture waves of sweetened grass.

Zululand, Zululand,
Raindrops sing songs of freedom,
On tin shack shelters,
Mud hut rondawels, housing hearts,
Hopeful for opportunity.

Zululand, Zululand,
Kingdom of the Zulu Kings,
Birth soil of my son,
"Sawubona ingane Kyle."
- Poetry © Kathleen Tonnesen, 1991

Artist Statement:
"While I was pregnant with my son in 1990, I worked for a bank and I had to travel from our small town, Empangeni in Kwazulu Natal, to Ulundi, which was the former capital of the Zulu Kingdom. On my travels I viewed this magnificent vista of undulating hills, rich earth, and simple rural life. I stopped my car and was greeted by the everpresent ringing sounds of many Christmas beetles, the extremely hot air, and the golden grass on my legs. As I stood, entranced by this spectacle of beauty, my unborn baby moved within me, in such a way that made me feel as though my baby sensed the glory of this magnificent landscape too." - Kathleen Tonnesen, 1991.