The African soul

What is Africa to me:
Copper sun or scarlet sea,
Jungle star or jungle track,
Strong bronzed men, or regal black

Countee Cullen


All were set to
unravel
the African soul,
And so was I
Daggering two egotistic hearts
I sucked the words out,
created my own Africa thus,

African heroes,
pasts, passions
retraced through
learned incantations

as the African soul was searched
Apparitions of griots and troubadours
concocted a chilling wave of irony
knocked the door of my heart

Hunger, famine, feud it said were words to bemoan,
Paths to the puzzle called Africa