MANTRA

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.