Tumbling Into Leechdom

Tumbling Into Leechdom The Omo River Ethiopia has no roads or bridges there It is my home of hope There is no other way to live Leeches were once everywhere within the Omo Tributaries, brooks and streams attended them Morning’s sun would glaze my eyes when I was young Running with the muddied currents there The rock along the centered way protruding on the surface Destroyed my boat and fled as splintered pieces down the stream Swirling their good-byes Discarding me right there abandoned From the shallows, fighting currents to find dry land When I emerged, muddied, like some darkened creature Firm terrain found me dripping wet with leeches clinging head to toe This would be my new life story My river found friends and I set out to see the cunning man The village shaman medicine man Who offered his daughter in exchange for them I took trinkets and bottled goat milk instead Finding the young girl too heavy for the road These leeches are perfect for all the healings Respiratory infections to demonic possession Leech gathering is what I do Along and in the Omo of Ethiopia