Adrian Castro

Before Becoming Wise Fish

Who would suffer if you looked
into the mirrored sea
so long
yr head saw illusion
so long
the sacred was deluded by waves—
so long
because migration begins with a lap 'n' a flip
away from the source. . .

You oar even more
waves grow
teeth threat
soak our hymns our
plumed language
like heavy rain on pelican's wing
But slowly
memory of bembé y bàtá
the procession de Yemojá
disguised as La Virgen de Regla
on September
7th
on her way to that
bay—
slowly
waves foam our memory
like froth on her feet
Arturo reached the edge de la bahía
cast cuatro lobes of coconut
just beyond reach of waves:
dice que " Òkànràn"
one with white mouth opened skyward

the other three splattered face down —
that many criollitos
se escaparán
in boats floating like
looking like
bottles with empty sheets of paper. . .

Incantation For The Word

Shi-shi shah-shah shishe-eeh
is the music of divination powder
Takatakatakataka
is the music of palm nuts conversing/(ikin)
Ikin can
speak of a certain matter burrowed in sand
Odù is the music of
Omolú is the music of
that speech

And we arrived with these pronouncements
circling a woopen tray
circling those signatures (who summon the true name of
things)
like coded messages from birds soaked
with the dew of universe
archetypes & all
past present & therefore
future
many languages with rhythm & all
even tonal
circling a wooden tray
tray who circular implies
WORLD
And it is word who causes this dance
And there are rhythmic leaps into
the sweetness of abundance into
the iron crest of creativity
And there herbs who cause the invisible to manifest
And it is word who causes this dance
Takatakatakataka
is the music of palm nuts conversing/(ikin)
Yes we can initiate a dialogue between known &

unknown
between those who flow round jagged stones of ignorance
river-like
like wise fish
we can bring messages regarding history
the ineffable speech of music
the music of verse
vibration from spirits through ripples
rhythm residing deep among the lushness
An old beaded crown invokes the power of poem
—in an incantation we can

Odù is the music of
Omolú is the music of
that speech
Shi=shishah-shah shishe-eeh
shshsh!
.

Cuchillo De Doble Filo (II)

There were many who were left
we left many behind
There
they will continue
the traditions of walking to the pulse of papayas
the language their children will continue
they will carryon
the smooth Caribbean relax
Here
there are many who will forget
who will cut the root con un cuchillo
de doble filo

We summon 7 ropes with iron links
to give us a hand
like an old friend
We fasten the links to their memory
We say the hunter always carries his bow —

There were many who were left behind —
Come & see the empty rafts
Come
Come & see the empty boats
come & see we
boat people

The Trance/Migration of Sound

White cloth like caul spread
in the midst of motion
meanderings like crisp conga solos
pools of wisdom dancing
now & again
—motion of river &a simple
thought —

we are born of rhythm
sound simply migrates & mixes

(Milt Jackson hovering over
vibes
now & again glancing up at
spirits
to check
if they still snapping
in 3/4 time
if they still
with him
(ancient
balafon man
still spiritized
still oracular
after all these African
ballads spoken
American
balafon man)—

In the midst of motion
currents curving like crisp conga solos
pools of wisdom churning
rising changing
history with all his apologies
chatting alone

There will be 3boats arriving soon
they come with cooperation of wave & wind
salt will eat the helm soon
soon el capitan will denounce the waves as traitors
—it was his nature—
soon the nature of
necessity
to unload many crates of bacalao
when it gave an itching
salty scratching sweating
creativity with all her invasions
conquering totally
Soon the gathered these cajónes—
they began to klá-klò—
while another said um-im-om
while hands were slow
the air was laced with heat
& there were three boats—

They called it Yambu
the one que no se vacuna
pools of wisdom churning
rising changing
history with all his apologies
rhythm de Africa
Spanish bacalao
speech de un babalawo
Afro en América
dancing at a crossroad
en Miami

Vacuna: action when a man & woman mimic
the courts of ancient rooster & hen
ay dios!
(ay dios)
((aaayyy!))
Strutting courting
strutting mixing churning
history with all its apologies

changing

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©2006 by Adrian Castro

 

Web Author: Joseph D. McNair Copyright © 2006 by Joseph D. McNair -ALL RIGHTS RESERVED