The chirping of the early birds
Perching on the trees of dawn
The rays of the waking sun
Dribbling through the leaves of the morning
The gentle strokes of whispering winds
Caressing me to forgive the rudeness of the night
Silently, I was brought back to this life
My heart beats in harmony with the flora fauna of this haven

Yet, I'm compelled to remain in this realm
Full of storms and tumors
Of ups and downs

Last night came back to me
I was at the mercy of a monster
I should be clothed in the rags of dust
Stoke within the clutches of unfriendly bushes
Or maybe a dainty meal of some lucky demons
How come I lie so clean on a white wrapper
Where does this come from
The peace I feel in the sacred groove

I still feel weak and a taste of bitterness settles on my lips
I just opened my eyes and stared
Shuffling my balance between the pendulum of dreams and reality

Then something inviting came from behind
Something that seems so part of my being
Something I have always known
It was a voice
The voice of Bambili my father
Darting through the carcasses of the air
I thought Bambili had gone back last night
Was he there when I stood nakedness beneath the moon
When the shadows of hell were cast around my shoulders
When my heart pants in fear of an imaginary beast
Was he there watching his son homeless among the dwellers of the jungle?

My head clouded with undefined weariness
Bambili was talking forest priest
The custodian of our ways
The keeper of our past
The representation of we once were
The mockery of who we can't be

They had redeemed me from the mouth of ruin
They had quenched the flame that was roasting me
They stopped the flow of the river drowning me

And now I'm laid on the wrapper of cowardice
Conquered by my own fears
And I heard Bambili and the priest talked about my destiny

Your son is too weak to wade the sword of Tansa
If he can't stand the darkness of one night
How can he face the darkness in the world
If he can't beat the fears inside
How will he conquer the intimidations of life
If he can't defend himself
How can he lead our people
Bambili you know that the shoulder that must carry the mystery of our land
Must never be broken in fear
You are the great Bambili
And Konte should be the strength from your youthful loins

Bambili goes only where is mind had been
You can't stop him
If you can't beat him

Kabinza, leave the raising of the boy to his father
Do what culture compels you to do
Kante is braver than any child of his age
he alone had aided me on many hunting adventures
He had loaded my guns
And he will fire it when I'm gone
Time had change and sadly we are the close of our history
Our identity is flowing down the river of time
Our root is pealed into bones by the hungry wolfs of civilization
And if you leave that child alone now
Our history will suffer and die
Let him know who is fathers were
Let him know the hole of our origin in the earth
I had waited all my life for this moment of glory
My only prayers on battle fields
And my only wish each time I stare at death on the face
Is to see one day that my son is honoured before my eyes
Kanbiza, the grey presence of Tansa himself had appeared to me in my dreams
And my Zodinga could be any time from now

Your Zondiga!!!
How can you be so calm when your Zondiga is near
That can't be so soon my friend
Your are too young to grace the plains above the world with your presence
Kante will drink from the pot of our forebears
Because of you Bambili, the greatness that frightens the kings
He will return to you in three days a wiser man

Thank you Kanbiza
I hope to see Kante too
But since Tansa, the father of our race keep beckoning me in my dreams
I can't say when the mystic howl will shriek on midnight trees
But since our Zondiga is about fate
Leave mine to me

© Olatuja Oloyede