Phil Salmon Poet Narrative

Odyssey From Africa 7b

CHAPTER 7b (Ipiki, continued)

Which had shared their lofty tree-nest
Now the bats abruptly vanished
But for one unlucky creature 
Which the hunting snake now swallowed 
 
And, its scaly torso flexing
Disappeared into the foliage 
Which regained its normal greenness.
One black leaf however drifted 
 
Gently down onto the sleeping 
form of Matto, who now waking
Saw this gossamer-like object
Resting on his naked midriff
 
Soft as air and light as moonbeam
Black as night, now slowly stirring 
Matto took it very carefully 
In his hand and looked more closely 
 
"It's a baby bat", said Kwona
As the family huddled round him
Then the dark winged creature fastened
Tiny claws round Matto's finger
 
Han and Kwona then permitted 
Matto to adopt the batling
For a second time extending
Succour to a helpless orphan
 
So they talked about the naming
Of their Pipistrelle companion
He was cute and very squeaky
So they called his name "Ipiki"
 
By their keen young ears the children 
Heard the language of Ipiki
But their parents could perceive no 
Inkling of his high-pitched chirping 
 
Matto made himself a necklace
Woven out of fibrous fern fronds
From the necklace hung Ipiki
Sleeping as they walked in daytime 
 
Then, since bats are nighttime mammals  
He would wake up in the evening  
Matto fed him grubs and insects 
Which Ipiki snapped up gladly
  
After several days, at sunset
As the bat bestirred, it spread its  
Filmy wings and fluttered skyward
Circled several times near Matto
 
Then crash-landed in the bushes
And his maiden flight was ended
But the bat grew fast and strengthened
Gaining skill and flying further 
 
Matto found that soon Ipiki
Had no need of finger-feeding
With his bat acoustic senses
He could capture flying insects
 
In the darkness. Thus at nighttime 
As the family ate together 
And retired up to their tree-nest
Then Ipiki would awaken
 
Stay some moments as the children 
Cradled him between their fingers 
Then would flutter through the night air
Circling round their tree encampment 
 
Keeping up a kind of vigil
Near the family through the night hours 
And from that time on they suffered
Less and less from biting insects

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