CONDOLENCES … from our swollen
lips laden with condolences:
The mythmaker accompanies us
The rattles are here with us
condolences from our split-
tongue of the slit drum condolences
one tongue full of stone–
condolences from the twin-lips
of our drum parted in condolences: the panther has delivered a hare
the hare is beginning to leap
the panther has delivered a hare
the panther is about to pounce-
condolences already in flight
under the burden of this century:
parliament has gone on leave
the members are now on bail
parliament is now on sale
the voters are lying in wait–
condolences to caress the swollen
eyelids of bleeding mourners.
the cabinet has gone to hell
the timbers are now on fire
the cabinet that sold itself
ministers are now in gaol-
condolences quivering before the
iron throne of a new conqueror:
the mythmaker accompanies us
(the Egret had come and gone)
Okigbo accompanies us the oracle enkindles us
the Hornbill is there again (the Hornbill has had a bath)
Okigbo accompanies us the rattles enlighten us–
condolences with the miracle of sunlight on our feathers:
The General is up … the General is up … commandments …
the General is up the General is up the General is up–
condolences from our twin-beaks and feathers of condolences:
the General is near the throne
an iron mask covers his face
the General has carried the day
the mortars are far away–
condolences to appease the fever of a wake among tumbled tombs
the mortars have won the day
can we remember the date–
Jungle tanks blast Britain’s last stand–
the elephant ravages the jungle
the jungle is peopled with snakes
the snake says to the squirrel
the mongoose says to the snake
the elephant says to the mongoose
thunder fells the trees cut a path thunder smashes them all–condolences …
THUNDER that has struck the elephant
the same thunder should wear a plume–condolences
the road becomes a throne
can we cane him for felling a tree-condolences …
THUNDER that has struck the elephant
the same thunder can make a bruise–condolences:
we should forget the names
the dead should bury the dead–condolences
from our bruised lips of the drum empty of condolences:
trunk of the iron tree we cry condolences when we break,
shells of the open sea we cry condolences when we shake …