Innocence At Mount Calvary Poem by Felix Bongjoh

(i)

A cruising wind
dives and spirals
through a shrub

into tall grass blades
bleating
with a shepherd's lambs.

Grunting
with rabbits in a large
crawling cage

tethered to a farmer's
rolling eyes
sitting on his face
like twinkling stars.

(ii)

The wind grinds
itself soft
and whines
into a grazing horse
wagging
its pricking tail,

a horse rider
tethered to his horse
with a flung-out peek,

the ogle
that drills in chills,
although beams
on the man's face
hoist and fly
stroking flags.

(iii)

A brushing breeze
strokes
and filters life
below

into smooth blue
dancing seas
of air,
heir to bright suns,

as streaks
of sun rays
fall on shadows
animals
will grow into.

Planted bunnies
in a cage
cluck and chirrup,

as swallows above
hover
and summersault
over crawling life

in a feathery,
smoky hour creeping
into mid-day.

(iv)

As the air's cluck
thickens into bleating
and baaing,

strayed small dogs
yelping
and whimpering

amid growling
and snorting, as winds
sneeze through grass,

threads of light
fall from a sharp-shooting
sun stitching
man and beast
into death, as folks wait
for a barge
to take them across

to the village church
to flame
and spray fireworks
of Jesus the Christ

whimpering in a cot
to bleat and squeal
with choruses
and staggered refrains,

children's eyes
grabbing thin sounds,
as their ears
drink and gulp down

Christ's blood
to let life hatch and bleed
to death.