The Lost Art

I read you Fathers
in the mute of night
When the bones decay in the yard of grave.
I read you Fathers
in the shadow deep
of the blooming moon
a most solemn tune.
What seek I?
Gong You did strike!
The ancient rhyme
I seek rhythm to this discordant medley churning my inside.
I am your offspring
show me the path of destiny
Many have forsaken it
and the less-severe roads have taken
for it is a time of blasphemy.
What seek I? That cord of life to balance the rife in remedy.
I pained for the dead days,    for the lost ways
So I read you to bring back The Road Map.

GODDESS

Acolyte!
what do you know?
what have you learned of me?

I know

some mantra

seen hypnotised dancers
maidens in dans-macabre

thy famed ire

irked mien

fearsome den

a dripping dread...
And thy haughty head.

Acolyte!
what do you see?
what do you know of me?

snake dances
blood sacrifices
consequences
vengeances
nemeses...

I see
Thy Kali arms
a fetish charm
a trident spear
a cold calmness.
And souls you possess.

Acolyte!...?

O goddess!

I only see
what you revealed to me...a blade and a beauty.

Yet
behind this facade
of thy wrath ironclad

thy bloodied tongue and lips

In the swaying hips
of thy temple troupe
coquette posture
begging attention
un-curtailed lust -

Is much love fiercely masked.

Dàwarà II

Dàwarà

when again
shall I bath
in warm embrace
of her watery arms?

Once again
I want to play
bojú-bojú and chase
within thy lazy waters

with what shall I compare
the taste of her?

the flavor

of

Her spices, her juices
corn, smoke, air
dung, drum ... and waters.

We drank
milk of thy trees
coco trees

we picked
giant snails
in cool places
by the dunghill

we slipped
on feaces
and wiped
our feet with banana leaves


we killed
many snakes
on our portion

we played
mischievously
with girls
on mooned night gatherings

things boyish, coyish...

we swam in
Odo-oba

coursed the river
on banana rafts and bamboo oars

drank from cool dàwarà

we scooped her waters
with our cupped hands!

when, mother
shall I be a man proper?