The Fisherman's Invocation by Gabriel Okara

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 The Fisherman's Invocation 

by 

Gabriel Okara

V

The celebration is now ended 

but the echoes are all around 

whirling like a harmattan 

whirl-wind throwing dust around 

and hands cover faces and feet grope.

The celebration is now ended 

the drums lay quiet, silent, waiting. 

And the dancers disperse, walking 

with feet that have known many dances 

waiting for the next; walking 

with their hearts climbing up their feet 

to their places and the palmwine descending 

from their heads to settle in their bellies 

and their bodies turn cold. For the spirit

of the dance has left and their faces become naked.

But the child-Front is now lying on laps 

feeding from measureless breasts of the Back 

singing green lullabys which tingle our heads. 

And we learn to sing half familiar half strange songs 

We learn to dance to half familiar half strange 

rhythms fashioned in dreams as the child-Front 

lies sleeping with breasts in his mouth.