July poet: Semele

A Valedictory Poem

Each dawn
you clamour through these hills
to enter this valley's womb
and tread its charred remains

With wounds and scars they come
children of wantonness
beauty shrouded in restless discontent

You dislodge cobwebs from their minds
uproot resistance
badger souls out of dull slumber
pierce pin-prick points
to leak out truth
and seep in hope

But O, the pain
the constant forays that bear no fruit
the helpless silence
while some young soul
who never found his feet
has lost his way

But then, the joy
one dawning hope-filled sigh
that sends out waves of enlightened wonder
rippling through time.

So now,
as bamboos creak and groan our farewell
we honour you
our mother
our sister
our friend

Blow soft, flow sweet
you mountain breezes
sheathe her in songs and laughter
and the morning-fresh fragrance of valley pine

River, stay your course
anoint her with your healing waters
cascading bubbles of soothing joy

Pools of dewdrops
whirl around her

Leaves, rustle the secrets of mysteries in celestial rhythms
birds, intone a matching chant

Move, valley mists
enfold her in your sunny tenderness

Come, you stately poui
waft down from your high places
unfold your buds
rain them gently at her feet
adorn her with garlands of love
weave crowns of wisdom through her hair

Butterflies, dance and dazzle
lift her on your wings
lay her on a blanket of silk cotton down

Bees, feed her with your honeycomb
and take her safely
to celebrate
new life.



Copyright Semele, 1990
All rights reserved.
Posted with kind permission of the author.

Semele is a Trinidadian poet and teacher. Her poetry has been published in a number of magazines including Savacou, Caribbean Quarterly, Kalaloo and Experiment, and she has published an anthology. Semele is also an art photographer, jazz enthusiast, and all-round wonderful human being.