A Baby Remembers

The Caledon Baths Hotel, where the author was born in November 1939

Emerging in Caledon Baths Hotel—the verge

Of reality, the month, November nineteen

Thirty-nine, for seventy-two days, I learned,

My newfound country’d been at war with Germany.*

“Not very pretty at first,” lying in my crib,

I harkened to the grown-ups talking of the news

Reports breathlessly broadcast daily by the SABC,

About the rage of spite and Poland’s agony.

In the fire that the Panzers and the Stukas spat,

What would become of me? Familiar thus, I made

Acquaintance with the demons who pursue me yet,

Since that first midnight they set shop up here to stay.

“How,” you’ll scoff for sure, “could you understand their talk?”

I guess I must explain and spell it out—

Damned if I’ll defer to stale professional doubt!

Although they mostly lose it after just a month

Or two, new babies can, see, “do” telepathy.

You learn it swimming in the amniotic sea.

As you might well suppose, this has a huge impact

On consciousness—and that “hard problem” mystery.

Gotcha, scientists! You thought you knew it all!

But I can conjure many figments that concur.

These recollections growing dismally dim,

I’m almost ready for the compost bin!

* Britain, France, India, Australia, and New Zealand declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. South Africa followed suit on September 6, beating Canada to it by four days. SABC = South African Broadcasting Corporation, on the air since 1936.

In the arms of my first true love, Leni. Amor vincit omnia!

Tuesday, January 27, 2026