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ABIKU BY J. P. Clark
ABIKU BY J. P. Clark Coming and going these several seasons, Do stay out on the baobab tree, Follow where you please your kindred spirits If indoors is not enough for you. True, it leaks through the thatch When floods brim the banks, And the bats and the owls Often tear in at night through the eaves, And at harmattan, the bamboo walls Are ready tinder for the fire That dries the fresh fish up on the rack. Still, it’s been the healthy stock To several fingers, to many more will be Who reach to the sun. No longer then bestride the threshold But step in and stay For good. We know the knife scars Serrating down your back and front Like beak of the sword-fish, And both your ears, notched As a bondsman to this house, Are all relics of your first comings. Then step in, step in and stay For her body is tired, Tired, her milk going sour Where many more mouths gladden the heart.
Coming and going these many seasons, Stay out on the big tree, Follow your spirit friends wherever you want If staying inside isn't enough for you. Yes, the roof leaks When the floods overflow, And bats and owls Often come in at night through the roof edges, And during the dry season, the bamboo walls Are ready to catch fire That dries the fresh fish on the rack. Still, it's been a healthy place For many people, and will be for more Who reach for the sun. Don't stand at the door anymore But come in and stay For good. We know the scars Running down your back and front Like a swordfish's beak, And your ears, marked As a servant to this house, Are all signs of your first visits. So come in, come in and stay For her body is tired, Tired, her milk going bad Where many more mouths bring joy.