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