Odyssey From Africa 15b

Odyssey from Africa 15b (Southland) “Like an antelope in stature Yet they hopped along like sparrows! On big hind limbs like a rabbit’s With a rat-like tail behind them “At the sight of such strange wonders I was wakened from my dreaming And lay staring into darkness As my heartbeat raced and thundered “Till the dawn I lay not sleeping As a thought distilled within me Growing stronger with conviction That my life held but one purpose “One sole focus of my longing And one single destination That I seek this dreamed-of Southland Sailing far into the sunrise “With an eastward blowing wind-stream In a ship that is much larger Than has ever been constructed Built to cross the greatest ocean “To discover lands uncharted To survive the unknown perils To withstand all raging tempests And to find at last the Southland!” Then the monarch, thus unburdened Of his inmost dream and passion And his rapt, astonished listener Both now spent some time in silence Walking slowly on together Passing through the palace gardens Till a sudden spinning movement Now arrested Han’s attention As the boomerang that Matto Had been throwing in the gardens Took a banking path toward them Spiraled down towards the monarch! Han reached out his hand and caught it And he chided his son Matto To look carefully beforehand At the casting of the wing-form But the king appeared untroubled And responded with a greeting “G’day mate! How are you doing?” Matto mumbled something shyly Kwona then appeared with Lisa And some servants of the household Who with Rosy their pet monkey Were out walking in the gardens They were brought up to the monarch Who to each one made acquaintance Took their hand within his own hand Speaking words of kindly greeting Han was feeling rather anxious That the king had been endangered But King Ptolemy the Second Was delighted at the wing-form By his single hand he held it Closely studying its contours “What is this swift-flying object?” “It’s a boomerang” Han answered Han then gave a demonstration Of the launching of the wing-form First it skimmed close to the surface Then banked up and left, returning Back to where they both were standing As the king cried out in wonder Then he motioned to a warrior Of his chosen elite escort That he try to throw the wing-form Learn from Han the proper method So the warrior, one called Anand Then responded as instructed