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KWENU! Our culture, our future |
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Ancestral Palm Tree
Roland Bankole Marke Florida, USA
Ancestral palm tree was our vital trademark of health: Multi-produce Negro’s hope, desired monetary bliss, Nurturing and blooming this organic as timeless age: Wine taper harvests palm wine or the succulent fruit, Palm leaves produce brooms, while nuts provide oil. Biblical metaphor - palm branch’s insignia of peace: Fruit’s chaff feed animals and equally used as a fuel, Multi-purpose palm tree was an enviable providence.
Ingenious mettle: poly-tricks could herald disrepute? Oh blatantly the ignoble farmer’s heart grew tainted! Let conscience speak, this secret tale would exhale, Like smoke that thrust upward with a solemn prayer. Palm oil elevates blood pressure, the doctor’s advice. With emotion devoured palm oil cuisine voraciously.
I’m apprehensive of my palm tree’s latent worthiness. Is it the tiller or nature that has crafted this mutation? More questions than answers flood poet’s cerebrum But, would this aging, dreaded palm tree regenerate? Like serpent’s head the venom transfuses peril on us, My hand shakes as leaf, glued onto chin: as sobbing Tears shower this murky-granite-face with wrinkles. I’ve expended ink vicariously? – Only time will tell.
Roland Bankole Marke © 2007
Roland Bankole Marke’s deep root germinated in Sierra Leone, West Africa. He lives in Jacksonville, Florida. And has published 2 collections of poetry: Teardrops Keep Falling and Silver Rain and Blizzard. His most recent book -Harvest of Hate: Stories and Essays, was published in 2006. Marke's work has appeared in several journals and magazines including World press, Kwenu.com, Florida Times Union and Mabayla Review. Visit his website: www.RolandMarke.com
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