WE TOIL
Raw. Lush.
Rolling sugarcane hills of my daughter’s birth,
Waterfall, Kwazulu Natal,
An expansive province of undulating landscapes,
Red soil and green carpeted earth,
Where women toil,
Child laden on sweating backs -
South Africa.
- Poetry © Kathleen Tonnesen, 1989

Artist Statement:
"In 1986 I gave birth to my daughter Samantha. I had loved being pregnant. I had marveled that my womb was designed to nurture an unfolding life form within me and I was excited to get to know the human being that would emerge. We had chosen to live in the lush green rural area of Waterfall, that was surrounded by sugarcane fields. While driving through the area I would often see women working in the fields with their babies on their backs. As a new mother this concerned me, as I was well aware of all the domestic chores and sleepless nights that now filled my own life, and I felt empathy for the plight of these women who were toiling in the subtropical heat of the sun." - Kathleen Tonnesen, 1989.

PRINTS and merchandise available on Fine Art America