Africa Breathing

An original poem by Gavin Tonks based on an African Storm

Africa breathing

your air,

storms, dark thundering  hooves and lightning

in creation’s maw.

Rain and life

beat down upon me.

The hard packed, dry earth, wet splattered,

dark blood red, earth images,

underneath my flesh feet, made from rain.

Original pagan power, magic, stretches forth,

 Goats, cows, lions and snakes bare foot ancient people and thorns.

My skin, organs and body made from their same earth, their water, now my flesh.

2

Stamping feet, on the luminous land, watched, through, an orange worshipped moon,

dark shadows lie, growing wanting, winter, cold heartless, dry, turning, brown then black burning,

brittle, sharpness underfoot, hunger eats and gnaws, death waiting.

 Clouds, sun hot cracked silence and baked, beater, punisher, hope heart beat,

 lions breathe and antelope pronk, insect scream in the cool, shaded, wind bending reeds.

3

Creation’s quest, triumph, earth, stone, tree, footprint, sky and lonely cosmic visions, dance.

Fire, burning smoke rising trembling, fluttering air, we breathe and die, closed eyes, choking darkness.

Reborn morning light and life, charged full, triumph scorched and blazing.

To breathe in a new African day.