Mango Tree Memory

Memories of a Sunday night spent hiding, avoiding rape, during fighting between rebel factions. in Nigeria.)


Mango Tree Memory

Bats singing in fruit-bowed boughs
Of mango trees in Makurdi on
Benue river, Nigeria.
Crouched in silence. Waiting.
Harkening to Sunday sounds.

Bats swaying, swinging. Singing songs
Of Laden trees. Peach-golden glowing
Spheres of sweetest nectar filled.
Foretelling mellow mango moons.
African Sunday sounds.

Large limbs, broad boughs,
Heavy with deep leaved splendour
Wearing Christmas sunshine.
My natural citadel haven is
Full of Sunday sounds.

Giant timber, wonderous vast.
Deep roots sucking from latent springs.
Leaves - translucent polished emeralds,
Offering infiltrator succour. Eyes, ears strain,
Tune. Dissecting Sunday sounds.

Surrounding tropical bats all friendly.
With chamois -webbed wings a medley
Of parasole pieces. Velvet yachtsman
Of darkest purple sky. Emitting Oscillating
Sonar Sunday sounds.

Bats hanging. Natures laundry pegged in a line,
Are you dreaming upside-down?
Other butterflies on tropic night, zig-zagging.
Constantly conversing with moon and stars.
Melodious Sunday sounds.

Occasional cackles from nearby guns
Always the messages of drums. Pulsating
Heartbeat of a stricken land.
As I savour mango, ears tuned. Tired mind
Sorts, analyses, discards nature's melodies.
Tunes to more sinister Sunday sounds.