Gert Strydom was born in 1964 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He matriculated at Estcourt High School after which he obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration degree (B.B.A.) at Andrews University (Berrien Springs, Michigan, U.S.A.) and apart from being a poet and writer he is an accountant by profession. His predilection for poetry was stimulated by his late father who read Afrikaans poetry aloud at times, as part of his postgraduate studies at the University of South Africa. While living in Pretoria he attended the poetry writing school at the House of Afrikaans Poetry under mentorship of Prof. Ian Raper, where the other poets especially Ian Raper, Rosa Smit, Mandi Engelbrecht, André (Francois) Viljoen, Luchie Möller, Karlien van der Merwe and Jan Lourens had a great influence on the sharpening of his abilities.

Some of his Afrikaans poetry is displayed on the Woes web page at:

http://www.woes.co.za/bydraers/besonderhede/gert-strydom

Some of his English poetry is displayed at:

http://www.poemhunter.com/gert-strydom
http://www.poetfreak.com/poet/GertStrydom
http://www.mabooki.com/authors/157_Gert_Strydom.htm

© Copyright: Gert Strydom for all poems displayed on these web pages (Under South African law copyright exists for forty years from the date of publication.)

You there

How long have I longed
that you loose your way in my verses
find something meaningful in them
that you along with me

cry and laugh at life
while for moments you are in my thoughts.