Page 20 - Contrast1977Mayv20n3

LAM

After riding a ferry in the dark. I arrived at Lamu, an island
where men were carrying sacks of grain on their backs, and a
my friend. This is Lamu."

Lamu night: when the baLance is t.
we will find ourselves
donkeys walk alone the sphinx's back into
thru the streets: a.nd multitudes wearing
so narrow echoes wave violins and sing
sound like they're
inside ul' head . . • in garbled p.e. voices
women in purdah
.,.;rill pass u and to a moran wearing ked
their eyes will tennis shoes and n.y.
quickly avoid ur s , baseball hat • • • the
faces covered in shadows. will walk to calvary
and the crucifixes wil
m.en smoke cl.cse together u can h
cross groans and the r
cigarettes on dice with f inge rua Lls
their shop steps sounding like it is Ln
listening to a radio ur head. u 1<1i11 see t
if we should walk far enough bleeding from the crea
we shaLl tip over the world and of the mouth. wri thing
the radio wil1 sound like a nails: lions sword le
'wounded violin andwomens robes against the cross t r un
'will be turned inside out Lf.ke beneath the cross
snakes slough into leopard bikini. smoking a cigarette~ w
where will the sounds shift off