Beasts of Nalunga III Poem by Jack Mapanje

When their moment comes
beasts of Nalunga respect
no-one, the young, the aged,
the poor must all churn in
the gushing brown currents,
gurgling down inscrutable
pathways to the rhythmic
thunderbolts that consume
whatever stands in their way;
but beasts of Nalunga are
at their most loquacious
veiled as vampires that suck
ordinary people's blood at
night, often with intricate
intravenous tubing, leaving
behind invisible blemishes
as people flee their homes.