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Odyssey From Africa 4b 5a

CHAPTER 4 The Eagle (continued)

Swinging up it glanced the raptor
Merely brushing through its wing-plumes
But the eagle lost its balance 
And released its hold on Rosy
 
Who then plummeted in freefall
But the bird regained its rhythm 
And hard turning in a circle
Caught again the flying monkey
 
As the boomerang fell earthward 
Matto quickly ran to grab it
Made a rapid calculation
Then he threw it at the eagle 
 
Its trajectory ascending
Crossed the raptor's banking flightpath
Left a tiny cloud of feathers
And the eagle's wings stopped beating
 
Bird and monkey fell together 
Till their fall was interrupted 
By a small hibiscus' branches
All the family ran towards them
 
Rosy dashed at once to Lisa
Bearing only minor scratches 
But the eagle made no movement 
Wings entangled in the branches
 
Kwona carefully checked the raptor 
Saw it was alive and breathing 
Matto's boomerang but lightly
Having skimmed its head and shoulder
 
So she freed it from the branches,
Laid it gently on a tussock 
"Live and prosper, noble hunter,
Only stay away from Rosy!"
 
As their journey took them uphill 
They began to pass through woodland
And a mortal trial awaited
Where no boomerang would help them 
 

CHAPTER 5 An Ancient Enemy
 
Now the scrub gave way to forest
And a different kind of wildlife
Wild pigs and deer and tree-sloths
Birds with brightly coloured plumage
 
As the evening was approaching 
Suddenly the woods fell silent 
All they heard was distant screeching 
Of some birds, and their own footsteps 
 
Beckoning his family closer
Han looked all around for danger
On all sides there hung a stillness 
That was heavy with foreboding 
 
All at once upon their left hand
There appeared two feline faces
Moving through the trees and foliage
Parting ways as they came nearer 
 
And what terrifying faces!
Massive downward pointing canines
Sabre teeth, and eyes with malice
Fixed upon the four companions
 
So they fled into the forest
To their right and running downhill 
Crashing desperately through branches
Trying not to lose each other 
 
Both the felines followed after
Padding silently like shadows 
Not appearing to be chasing 
Just content to drive them onward 
 
Then they broke into the sunlight 
Of a clearing in the jungle 
On the counter-facing tree line
Four more sabertooths were waiting 
 
Wheeling sharply to their left, they
Ran straight back into the jungle 
Nothing left to them but running
Time to think was taken from them

Copyright © Phil Salmon | Year Posted 2017

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