Shamen tell me of your peoples,
Dwellers in the jungle glades.
Tell me now or tell me never,
‘Ere they creep into the shades.
Tell me of their ancient wisdom
Gifted by the early earth.
Tell of love and hate and worship,
Gods of fire and death and birth.
Fugitives from dawn’s long twilight,
All their hope lies in their eyes.
It glimmers as the chain saw jangles,
Glints and shudders as it dies.
Children of an ancient era,
Entrapped by life’s too busy loom,
The flying shuttle flying faster –
Swirling round the gates of doom.
RAE, 28 April 2003.
Shamen tell me of your peoples,
Dwellers in the jungle glades.
Tell me now or tell me never,
‘Ere they creep into the shades.
Tell me of their ancient wisdom
Gifted by the early earth.
Tell of love and hate and worship,
Gods of fire and death and birth.
Fugitives from dawn’s long twilight,
All their hope lies in their eyes.
It glimmers as the chain saw jangles,
Glints and shudders as it dies.
Children of an ancient era,
Entrapped by life’s too busy loom,
The flying shuttle flying faster –
Swirling round the gates of doom.
RAE, 28 April 2003.