The Final Home Coming

The Final Home Coming   From where the sky meets the high seas Talking drums rolled out endless eulogies As we waited, with the shore’s mud up to our knees Some even did dance to the rhythm - no apologies   The mangrove flanked aquatic expanse Its inhabitants in rapturous excitation Announced the regattas' glorious advance Even monkeys from trees did swing, in celebration The colorful seven made haste to the shore Their paddling, sequenced and synchronised Each propelled by the muscles of twenty and four The music, all but the drummers hypnotised   The wailing and drumming crescendos As the casket is hoisted by each pall bearer Threnodies and praise songs devoid of innuendos Rent the air, from those to whose hearts he was dearer   Each relative, the other did strive to outdo And to this illustrious son, give for at least once With one good deed, all transgressions undo Impressing the dead - the mind of a dunce   Priests did read Christian verses and made recitations His soul, confused and standing with arms akimbo As witch doctors also did chant incantations Knew not which way led to Heaven, Hell or Limbo   In this carnival of his final journey home He’d also sailed the metaphysical realm Maybe, on tranquil seas that do not rage and foam His first and last without control of the helm