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The Caribbean Writer

gods and spirits are summoned through the portal divine

Ian Gregory Strachan

for Gus and Vola

kadak doong doong
kadak doong doong
kadak doong doong
kakkadak doong doong

this is how the drum speaks

kadak doong doong
kadak doong doong
kadak doong doong
kakkadak doong doong

this is how the eyes begin
their easy retreat into the skull
how the muscles tighten and then relax
how the joints prepare themselves
for their starry passengers

kadak doong doong dak dak doong doong
kadak doong doong dak dak doong doong
kadak doong doong dak dak doong doong

this how the feet repeat the secret steps
how they mark out upon the highways
of the dead and unborn the combination
that unlocks the portal of the gods

doong doong dak dak doong doong
doong doong dak dak doong doong
doong doong dak dak doong doong
kakalak doong doong dak dak doong doong

this is the sound that flings the graves open
that summons the hung, whipped, raped and drowned
to fete on the heads of their living descendants

kadak doong doong dak doong

kadak doong doong dak doong

kadak

doong doong

dak

doong

this is how the gods are remembered
jesus is not one them

paaa peeee pa-pa-pa-peeeee

spirit children laugh and run in the streets
they race and play, ricocheting rainbows

shango donates lightning
ogun spreads fire
eshu tells tales

paaa peeee pa-pa-pa-peeeee

kadak

doong doong

dak

doong

isn’t that the sound of the ship’s hold slamming shut?
isn’t that the sound of the lights going out?
isn’t that the sound of the casket closing?
isn’t that the sound of the canons at the slave fort
in Guinea?

kadak

doong doong

dak

doong

isn’t that the sound of the slaves banging on the

hold’s door?
isn’t that the sound of the slaves banging on the

massa’s door?
isn’t that the sound of the spirits being roused?

kadak

doong doong

dak

doong

of the warriors being called

kadak

doong doong

dak

doong

of the backras takin blows

paaa peeee pa-pa-pa-peeeee

kadak

doong doong

dak

doong

paaa peeee pa-pa-pa-peeeee

the women laugh and show their motion
the potcake platoons march past
the spirit children ripple rainbows
laughing at eshu’s riddles

kadak

doong doong

dak

doong

da-na-na-na-na-naa-na
na naa na-na-na

“DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOZZZHHHH!”

da na na naaaa na
na na na na na

dan na na na na naaaaaaaa
dan na naaaaaaa

um um-um

. . .gone, like shadows

 

Copyright © Ian Gregory Strachan

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