Sunday, July 13, 2008

A Cry From Africa


Notes: This poem was written for Kylie Wilson, a person I met while having dinner with David Caplan, the current Health Minister of Ontario. I was especially inspired by her tales of exotic travel to Africa. The style of this poem is what I call “synthesis poetry” – the construction of poetic content through the deliberate incorporation of various allusions in order to create a montage.


A Cry From Africa


by Randy Ai


Riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay
To which this Tanzania, hot and lucid, serves as reminder, say:
Young Kylie,
batten upon the bloodstreams of the veldt
A fierce body against the tyranny, moist and felt
Leads her to an overwhelming question: What is Africa to Me?


Copper sun or scarlet sea, jungle star or jungle tree
In the heart of darkness, she finds
roots of relish sweet.
Her land – a strong bronzed man in regal black and clay
A glorious lover, who will burst to illumine this day
His heart was going like mad and yes she said yes I will Yes.


© Randy Ai, 2008

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