Odyssey From Africa 3a
CHAPTER 3 The River
While they paused to rest a moment
Han gazed suddenly behind them
To the south a long way distant
Faintly rose a hazy ribbon
From the grassland; Han spoke quietly,
"Loved ones, we are being followed"
Then to his close gathered family
Han explained an old tradition
Handed down from father's fathers
Was an evil superstition:
Every time that bad stuff happened
It was always due to witchcraft
Someone was communicating
With the spirits of the dark side
Custom then demanded that they
Find and kill the spirit-talker
"These pursuers mean to harm us;
We must get across the river"
So they hurried on together
Northwards in the failing sunlight
After running for an hour
They encountered trees and bushes
And attained the reedy shoreline
Of the wide and turbid river
On the bank of the Zambezi
Mighty from its Congo catchment
Flowing eastward through Malawi
To the Mozambiquan coastline
Now what tiredness overwhelmed them!
Down they lay near to exhaustion
We must keep, thought Han, a vigil;
Soon however all lay sleeping
Yet a while before the sunrise
Han was wakened by some noises
Something splashing in the river,
Baleful voices of a lion pride
In the dark his mind worked quickly
How to get across the river?
To his skills as a boat-builder
Han then turned for a solution
Lying partly in the water
Was a buffalo's dried carcass
Han worked quickly with his stone-axe
To remove the hide of leather
It was not in great condition;
Parts of it were strong and supple,
So despite the noxious odour
Han cut out a modest yardage
Several stems from nearby saplings
Were employed as ribs and gunwales
Kwona now appeared and started
Sewing wood and hide together
Then they saw the dawn's first glimmer
Pink and green on the horizon
Pausing briefly Han and Kwona
Stood up and surveyed the grassland
By the hazy morning sunlight
They could see four men approaching
Distant figures drawing nearer
Quick they ran to wake the children
Soon the family were gathered
At the boat that they were building
Birds and monkeys in the treetops
Sang the chorus of the morning
Which this day brought deadly danger
Four apocalyptic figures
Armed with spears and running silent
Drawing closer every moment
Kwona made a final binding
Fastening the sticks together
"It will only take two people"
Han said, "we must make two crossings"
Copyright © Phil Salmon | Year Posted 2017
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