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Mbari Dancers

I With faces painted of edeala natural cream With feet flourishing in undulating dance-steps The proud dictates of the restive drums Where the Ikolo performers are on the thrive Each in readiness to out-pipe his neighbor – The dancers come digging it out with the sun With the hunters taking their spears to the sky! Young Mbari dancers, robust, eager & joyous Awaiting the life-panthers that must come home After the drum-beats in the hunter’s forest – ’Tis like a gathering of spirits & humans At the age-long esplanade of the clan, for lads & lasses, fathers & mothers, young & old, all Have come to the roost like a family of chickens. Dancing in pairs, in circles & diverse angular Movements, a genius of the earth: each dancer Makes her to-&-fro design-gaits & flights Like some nymphs in dream-land gardens Their gaits are swift & in skillful harmony Following the restive palms of the drummers! Ah, old Emuka gets at it, the renowned piper At his high zest, taking Mbari eagle-dancers To the heights of lofty Iroko-dance-branches An embodiment of every echo-throat’d piper! & a dancer dances as if it were her last dance; & ’tis a full sun-burnt commotion of a dance; O, isn’t it an half-human, half-spirit dance?

Copyright © | Year Posted 2020




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Date: 1/3/2024 9:28:00 PM
Thanks for sharing this. God bless you. Meanwhile, I greet you with a Joyous New Year with this prayer from the Bible in Numbers 6:24-26, "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."
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Canny Amah
Date: 1/13/2024 6:41:00 PM
A resounding AMEN!!! Thanks for this great godly concern, Beata! Just praying the Good Lord to take adequate care of all that concerns you and your coast, your loved ones, in Christ Jesus' name, Amen!!!
Date: 11/26/2023 11:20:00 PM
You portrayed a vivid picture of these dancers.. Great use of vocabulary..
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Date: 11/23/2023 7:22:00 PM
Interesting, creative and poetic, all at the same time. No words are needed, when you express your emotions through dance. My best to you, Canny. ~ Brandy
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Canny Amah
Date: 11/24/2023 4:02:00 PM
... i APPRECIATE, the comments are woven around my dancers, being a part of their dancing!!!
Date: 11/22/2023 4:03:00 PM
A beautiful and informative poem, Canny. I enjoyed reading your poetry today and will follow your Poetry so we can get to know each other better. I hope you'll follow me also. A poet friend, to be, Bill
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Canny Amah
Date: 11/22/2023 7:42:00 PM
... 'Tis a joy to read your kind words; thanks, Bill. i have read your poems and seen you have the talents ... 'tis a pleasure to follow your verse ... thanks, once more!!!
Date: 11/22/2023 4:55:00 AM
Creative work talking about this dance/ritual from ancient tribes. I had to look it up and found some quite interesting pictures. Thanks for sharing this one with us and for dropping by my page. Sara K
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Canny Amah
Date: 11/22/2023 9:49:00 AM
Thanks, dear Sara for your words. The festivals and occasions for the Mbari dancers could only be viewed on the memory as the originals are gone, forever??? We lost great cultural features!!!

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