In the Village

In the Village

In the village life repeats

summer heats to summer heats,

season after season greets

echoes drummed, - past, present beats.

In the village dust defeats

western concepts - coarse conceits.

Attempts to quantify Time’s feats

are vain, ‘tis plain that Time time cheats.

In the village Life recalls

life departed in babe’s bawls,

late or early Fate’s footfalls

dog the soul that, sudden, stalls.

In the village cockrel calls

to score day’s dawning, frights night’s shawls,

village sorcerer enthralls

repeating spells, casts lions’ mauls.

The village welcomes far and wide

the harvest, beer and wants supplied,

though all too often trapped inside

hunger sees those needs denied.

In the village time and tide

dewless baked are, thirst sun-dried.

Life and death there coincide,

enact tradition’s groom and bride.

In the village day and night

interleave page dark and light,

slip through space till, out of sight,

race is lost to win insight.

(c) Jonathan R