A dream, a paleo-poem

Asleep, last night, a dream occurred... 

resulting in this roughly drafted Paleo- poesis:

 

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Laetoli songline

A mother walking, calmly, deliberately

a babe carried, not cradled in arm (suckling)

not in a sling (Khoisan: leather sling)

not in squared cloth wrap (Malay, Bantu)

not in net bag (Papuan) or back basket (Hmong)

not in papoose on cradle board(AmerInd)

 

as used on far future group treks

 

but She walked alone upright on two lower limbs

not low down on four with a "monkey" on her back

her babe sitting upright, bottom supported on arm,
babes' arms wrapped round her neck
as if climbing a palm tree

babes' mouth resting on mother's shoulder

babes' eyes looking behind

two eyes in front, two eyes in back 
and watched by antelope and fowl

they seemed a two-headed monster,

 

a bipedal version of

Dr. Doolittle's push-me pull-you 

 

able to see as well the tracks of the past

as the unpressed trail before her;

 

the mothers' gait a normal pace,

not too slow, not running, gentle rocking

in between tiptoeing and striding

relaxes her babe, no cries, awake,

aware, toothless yet fearless 

 

mother's melody synchronized

timed to shared breathing, hearts' beats

and unconscious swinging of footpads

 

babes' eyes open wide, sees something

moving behind them

mumbles "mmmaauu  mmaauu"

mother responds intuitively

"mmaauu mmaauu"? singing it

 

Xyambwa, the sabertooth cat,

goes still, unbreathing, confused

unable to see the normal attack zone,

the prey's rear and fly-swatting tail, 

 

Xyambwa can't attack the face,

a predator's code deeply embedded

a lunge from behind, claws to rip

a swipe at a tendon to prevent escape

a gripping noose round the neck 

with powerful jaws that clamp tight. 

 

But this one has no tail behind,

only eyes.

 

So Xyambwa waits and rests.

 

And Lucy walks onward towards

a mound of stone by a shallow pool...

 

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DD

 

 

note: poesis(Greek) poetry of creation aka songline/dreamtrack/totemblem /poem

note: melody (melos(Greek): limbs)

note: mau (rimau(Malay): tiger, mao (Japanese) cat, simba(Swahili) lion, mbube(Zulu) lion