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Chekeleke in the sunset sky (Of Egrets and flapping fingers)

Submitted by Ifeanyichukwu O... on Tue, 2021-04-13 14:21

6 on the dot. another cloudy evening
thunder:
grandeur groans and grunts,
welcome the rain.

they fly by
in rhythm under the blue skies.
brisk and swift,
tender swings,
in their wings,
in the wind -
chekeleke!

my hands meet their sway
in compulsion;
a reflex fashioned in conformance,
reminiscent of infancy:
coated fingers in whitish tattoo -
symbolism of innocence
or of adored superstition.

I checked out my fingers,
let out a chuckle,
waved to the rainy sky,
went back to Durban Gen,
as daylight fades.

Last few words:

Growing up as an African kid, myth holds it that egrets bring good fortune when one waves at it, in flipping of the fingers, and a whitish mark is left on the fingers. This poem is a depiction of that childhood fantasy.

Editing stage:

Editing - rough draft

Content level:

Not Explicit Content

Comments

Geezer

Tue, 2021-04-13 17:24

Excellent!...

I love hearing about one's culture and legends. The stories are something to pass on to children and great for keeping one's ethnicity alive. This piece is remarkable in that it is so like something that you would hear from many cultures around the world
and easily understood. Thanks for a great piece.~ Geez.
.

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Ifeanyichukwu O...

Tue, 2021-04-13 17:52