The Blue Lady
With a lick of her lips and a slight swivel of hip she blessed me.
With her pinkie finger she anointed my forehead with honey.
With her whole hands she scooped Shea butter from a calabash and oiled my body
from a small jar, she covered my shiny skin with cinnamon
and dabbled cherry juice into my navel and goats milk behind my ears
She took a honeysuckle vine and braided it into my hair and laced cowery shells around my waist.
She kissed my feet and painted them with vanilla
Never speaking, never uttering, she pointed to the ground which showed a peacock feathered path
that I was to follow..
Naked and alone, scented and damp, I walked along the path, passing through trees, and sticky
pines, walking up rock and through muddy ditches. Stumbling and sometimes falling, but steady
on the path that she laid for me. With no sounds, no rustling of leaves, no birds
flying, just complete silence, and me.
I walked, and walked, hours on top of hours, naked and sweaty, sticky and tired, I walked...
then, like a whisper, she appeared, she smiled, and put her arms around me
she gave me her shoulder to lay my head, she held me close to her as we walked...
we walked over peacock feathers, dirt, and bone.
We walked and walked until we reached a clearing..
The river..
The river..
She rushes in, and pulls me along, tugging me into the water,
tired and hurt, I hesitate, She beckons and I follow
Gently she pulled, deeper, and deeper, we go
My toes grasping the bottom of the water. Walking, deeper and deeper
We go, until water is covering my head...
Stretching to keep my head above the water, struggling to stay afloat,
hopelessly it covers me.
She comes behind me, and pulls me backward, i fall into the water, underneath I reach, and whirl,
my thighs hit the river bottom, my heals scrape the dirt, in anguish and desperation
I try to pull myself up, with no avail, I fall deeper. I try again, and I still fall deeper.
Afraid, I seek her, I feel for her, I cry out for her, through blue, I see her, smiling.
I reach, she takes my hand and lifts me.
Now, facing me, she kisses me, and washes my eyes, She holds my head close to hers,
then blows air into my mouth, with her hands holding my cheeks, she squeezes and blows, blowing
cool air into my lungs. My chest rises and falls, and she still blows until I am calm.
Gently she grips my shoulders and pushes me again into the water, but this time she is holding
me, she soon lifts me out of the water and pulls me close to her, with necessary ease she
embraces and holds me, lovingly she takes my hand and leads me out of the river.
As if I were fragile she helps me to sit, while seated she dries me with banana leaves, and
with her fingertips she traces my wounds, and blows warm air on them.
As the wind blew she
disappeared just like the whisper that brought her.
