Incantation Poem by ANTHONY ANIGBATA

INCANTATIONS

He cast to the earth cowries
In blue, green and yellow colours
And he abracadabra
Speaking in tongue he alone could comprehend.

Saying of things he only could see
And as he did, thunder roared
Plume of smoke raised their hands
Out to reach to the sapphire sky

Then dragged the spirit of a man
Aman who years ago lived
The man spoke to him quietly
Warned, and disappeared into the mirror.

He spoke in sprutting tongue
Words obscure even to the elders
Because that is what the spirits want
And in privatization of words desire
Communications at their sacred presence

As he spoke in such uncommon tongues
And bath the hungry earth
With pure librations
He poured local beer on a sculpture
An ugly looking sculpture and said
Tell me again what to say
To your children at your feet

Then he laughed loudly like a roaring lion
The echoes echoed and shock the earth
He laughed and laughed again
Shouting and invoking, saying many word
We heard, but could not comprehend

He cast to the earth cowries
In blue, green and yellow colours
Stared steadily at it, then said
They have spoken, the gods have spoken
The labyrinths in your hand your journeys
But you will be, the leader of many
Then he laughed,
He laughed and laughed loudly again
And said many words
We heard, but couldn't comprehend.