Poetry: Leopard Meets Watermaid
By Uduma Kalu
HE has a thousand things for his chains.
He uses only twelve.
A door for a square.
He spread his arms of welcome… calabash at the door.
The conference holds at the junction.
The junction is in agreement.
He locked the arcs.
The junction is in agreement.
The two of them talked. Man and woman.
The junction is in agreement.
Two people intertwined talked in arcs— love, marriage, agreement?
He locked the arc.
The conference was the morning square.
Morning square was king of the Igbo.
Ekpe was guardian of the morning square.
The morning square was the republic.
The leopard has returned. The republic has returned.
The republic is king.
The morning square is king of the Igbo.
His lines are zigzag. Zigzag is water. Zigzag is river.
On his road are signs of gun, crossbow and machete.
On the river are signs of gun, crossbow and machete.
Leopard roared.
He roared war.
He roared because his throne is just.
Leopard king.
Leopard is king of the forest.
He wears his skin of man and woman.
Leopard is man and woman.
Grandpa and grandma.
Leopard is king.
There was moon.
There was tortoise. There was wisdom.
The leopard is trickster signing nsibidi.
In his calabash are drums.
Under his umbrella, he shows his wealth.
He is king seeking justice.
Leopard is king.
Leopard commands…
He commands food…
He farms food. He fetches food.
Leopard is king.
When he wants plantains Leopard signs his farm boy.
Leopard is king.
White on indigo, leopard clogs his claws in secret.
Leopard strides in the night.
Leopard strikes in the night. His stripes glide in the night.
Leopard is king.
Python is in danger.
Leopard wants his power back.
White on indigo, python is in danger.
Leopard has returned to the forest. He is wealth.
He signs his manila ‘Okpogho’ — old money.
His budget is old money. Money for all.
Leopard is king.
The leopard strides in style.
He strikes at night.
He signs his liberty in broken chains.
He wears his anklets.
His anklets tingle and jingle his bond.
He signs his peace in knotted circles, which is marriage.
Now, he has met Watermaid.
Will she marry python? Will she marry leopard?
When a woman marries two husbands,
she knows who is better, grandpa said.
Will she marry python?
Will she marry leopard?
The python signs chains.
He signs fences.
He signs boundaries.
He warns, don’t dare.
Don’t dare. Don’t dare where python is king.
These are dark signs in abstract.
There is danger awaiting death.
There is Something coming for python.
There is lamentation coming for python.
