The color of her skin holds untold stories of black stars
and as she passes by barefoot and in white,
blessing earth, they kneel down:
she is sacred like a spider weaving a new web,
like an eagle removing its own beak to be reborn.
her beaded necklaces belong to The Orishas.
"Ileke" they call.
she wears as many as i can see and
each one of them is a mystery of nature,
nobody can touch them,
neither me
when the voices cry,
when the conga drums call the Orishas,
she dances alone in the circle
and she is more beautiful
because her body is not hers anymore
because she belongs to something
you have to see if you want to understand.
yes, she is sacred and i didn't know
she would be chosen to walk their path.
she was taken suddenly.
"it is her mission" they say.
"it is inherited" they whispered
as we cried.
when i look at her,
there is a strange force
pulling us to the invisible unknown,
to the arms of Mother Yemanja
and deep in my heart,
i can only feel gratitude.
karla bardanza
Orishas - gods and goddesses in the African diaspora.
Yemanja - She is a goddess, she is the ocean, the essence of motherhood, and a fierce protector of children. Yemanja is the mother of all Orishas.
and as she passes by barefoot and in white,
blessing earth, they kneel down:
she is sacred like a spider weaving a new web,
like an eagle removing its own beak to be reborn.
her beaded necklaces belong to The Orishas.
"Ileke" they call.
she wears as many as i can see and
each one of them is a mystery of nature,
nobody can touch them,
neither me
when the voices cry,
when the conga drums call the Orishas,
she dances alone in the circle
and she is more beautiful
because her body is not hers anymore
because she belongs to something
you have to see if you want to understand.
yes, she is sacred and i didn't know
she would be chosen to walk their path.
she was taken suddenly.
"it is her mission" they say.
"it is inherited" they whispered
as we cried.
when i look at her,
there is a strange force
pulling us to the invisible unknown,
to the arms of Mother Yemanja
and deep in my heart,
i can only feel gratitude.
karla bardanza
Orishas - gods and goddesses in the African diaspora.
Yemanja - She is a goddess, she is the ocean, the essence of motherhood, and a fierce protector of children. Yemanja is the mother of all Orishas.
Copyright©Karla Bardanza 2014
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