Dust started to settle
On leaves and rooftops
Long absence of rain
Prepared the platform
Feet and vehicle tyres
Trampled dusty roads
Leading to highways
The year at its end
Like grey hairs
Huts stood out
As golden domes
Depicting the aged
Preceded by dryness
Waiting to be fêted
Drums beat
Dancers out
Tone crammed with songs
Some noises prominent
Pistons pounding mortars
Competing for choice meals
Festivity filled the air
Chicken and goats sacrificed
To appease the stomach gods
Foo-foo, rice and yam lined up
Procession of escorted limbs
See them dancing to the toilets
Like the living to their graves
A recycled carnival complete
Jubilation and depression
Bedfellows to the dying year
The unborn wait in expectation
Bathed in the tide of the womb
Bells tolled, ushering a new verse
The last canto depicts the twelfth month
When the new meets the old on the hour
Comments
Dearest...
Do not mind my funny mind, I joke a lot, even with serious matters. This piece came from the experience I had in the church when I was little. We were reading Bible in my native language, tough it was, I panicked, like others. We would count from the one reading so we could rehearse our verses before it came to our turn. sometime one or two ahead would bungle up, this would change the one you tried to master. when it came to my turn, it was verse twelve, in panic, I stood up with my Efik Bible and said 'Twelve verse', instead, see the laughter from my class mates including the teacher. I looked stupefied. thank you.
tr.
You got it...
I mean the meaning, this is only what gave the idea to the piece, the background story only reflects on the title, not in the body. Just a way of keeping the memory fresh. I needed to share my funny past with you my faithful friend, cheers.
tr