ibà á şẹ (1)

ibà á şẹ

for chief sandrell rivers

the gbesiewu of badagry

skillful bird winging thru the illusory land
of the living, unborn & egun. no raffia,
cloth or wooden masques can begin to analog yr
beak, teeth or feathers, nor need u high falsetto or
low rumble yr voice. u are captured by memories;
tethered to our great need of u. we have invoked the
spirits who transform the living to keep u among
us, ibà á şẹ aruku, mojuba. we have
invited you into our dreams, into our trances
where u make yr nest in our iroko hearts by the
river of life, oh skillful bird with feathers & beak,
with feathers & teeth, with bones as feathers & bones as
teeth, with iron feathers & teeth; feathers & teeth of fire.

© Joseph McNair; 2010