a dilemma

[ellyssian]

a dilemma
July 14, 1998

waking to the beat of drums
distant
tangling in the mists
primitive
primeval
syncopated with the breath and heart
savage as the jungle pyramids with their altars to bloodlust and powers of spilled
life

through the trees they come
ever closing in
never ceasing in their song of death
a veritable ballet of beauty
multi-coloured feathers
and cloaks once worn by the great cats
spiraling inward to the center
where i lay
eyelids locked tight with the sands of sleep

i dare not move lest they find me
despite their circling presence removing any doubts as to their focus
perhaps at the least thinking me to be asleep will gain more time

time for what, then?
to await their spears or knives or poison
or to await the stilling of my heart and breath whilst their drums carry the tune?
that would be madness should they wish to savour their kill

action then to speed the inevitable
let them see my anger and my power and not my terror
and let them rush in to the attack
and perhaps i might take more than one to the dark realms
take them with me

bracing myself on the cool dirt of the jungle floor
i gather my resolve my strength and my nerve

and i join the dance

Copyright (c) 1998 Everett A Warren

Comments

a dilemma, explained

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

Some explanation - this is old, but hasn't appeared before in LJLand. It was originally to be taken quite literally, and was the opening of a short story. I liked the feel and the pacing of it, and felt it could apply figuratively as well, so I called it a poem and arranged the line breaks as you have seen. The remainder of the short story was abandoned.

Thought of it now because my left ear is playing some deep drums all on its own, quiet, in the distance, so that I have to focus fully to be sure they're there...