poem04 May 2020 06:14 am
painting by Waraguru Waithira

Solomon Uhiara

Her eyes were looking up carrying 
yellow salt and brown water

Her Ankara gown was shredded 
by the sticks that pointed to another country
And as the red flowers were growing on her body
the daisies pursued her, springing out of the ground like
underground angels in disguise, under white capes
brandishing invisible political weapons

A door swung open, not by force, just slowly,
quietly, as if it was a living thing
A long light tip-toed in. It wasn’t too bright
for inside it stood a man, his face having different sides,
different colors and proportions
He was wearing two long beads around his neck, almost naked
As if inside of him lived a higher power, 
a superior manufacturer of dreams

When he walked out, his face started to change
The trees around started to reduce, their dead leaves started 
going up and becoming alive
The earth started singing, as the air was dancing,
the forest was vanishing small, small

She saw his face turn into an Okonko spirit,Then into an Egungun mask, into a faceless man,
then into a man she used to know, her first husband, 
his green beards, his long ancient staff that was dabbed in
sacred diabolic rituals

She called out his name: 
Bintu !
And butterflies came out of her mouth
She cried and a storm overflowed the streams
the salt in her eyes folded her tears. When she fell silent, darkness 
came out from the ground and suddenly shrouded her face

When next she spoke, her misty voice pushed back the darkness
Invisible fingers started touching her body, his face started glowing,
an apparition, invisible hands started working the talking drums
Shinning eyes started growing out of the bushes,
revealing their hiding places. Silence could now speak
The voices that were speaking started to clap,
waiting for the scent of new marriage,
a new ceremony that will emancipate our kingdom
before we are all lost 
upside down inside this labyrinth.
Share

Trackback this Post | Feed on comments to this Post

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.