Odyssey From Africa 6d
CHAPTER 6 (d, continued)
Several times he threw the wing-form
With advice from Han succeeding
To produce a soaring flight path
Then returning to his duties
As troop leader; now the females
Brought forth food they had collected
And their business turned to feasting
In the gentle rays of sunset
Several days and nights now followed
With a corresponding pattern
While the males patrolled the border
Food was gathered by the ladies
Once, at evening, Han and Matto
Lit a campfire in the clearing
Some gorillas stared in wonder
Others, fearful, shrinking from it
Rosy the baboon attracted
Much attention from the young ones
Gleefully they played together
With the smaller fellow primate
One day as the shadows lengthened
Afternoon becoming evening
There again was an encounter
With the saber-tooth cat hunters
Hoots and chest-thumps spread the warning
Quickly through the pongid kingdom
Moments later all were climbing
To the safety of the treetops
But the males were organising
At the silverback's direction
Moving tree to tree like shadows
Taking up assigned positions
Down below them at ground level
Several wild pigs were running
While the saber-toothed pursuers
Herded them with cold precision
Bringing back to Han and Kwona
Their own recent chilling memories
Once again the prey were corralled
To the stream to be surrounded
And again the mighty primates
Lifted most of them to safety
Up into the high tree branches
As they loudly squealed in protest
Soon however acquiescing
To the powerful limbs that held them
In high branches safely rescued
From the predators below them
Han and Kwona both were baffled
By this very strange behaviour
What did the gorillas gain by
Rescuing these hunted creatures?
Later they would learn the answer
These intelligent gorillas
Sabotaged the set-piece chases
Of the sabre-tooth cat hunters
With the aim of their departure
To some distant hill or valley
There to carry out their orgies
Of carnivorous destruction
Thus the humans and gorillas
Shared a while their lives' adventure
Han and Kwona and the children
Filled the days with happy memories
There however came a morning
Han and Kwona spoke of leaving
For the purpose of their journey
Lay yet unfulfilled before them
Pleasant though their habitation
With the pongid troop was proving
This was not the sought for homeland
For their family and descendants
Copyright © Phil Salmon | Year Posted 2017
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