Today we continue with another 2 poems from Ali Cobby Eckermann’s award winning novel Ruby Moonlight, following on from Harmony published back in April.

Morning
ribbons of campfire smoke
drift to a sunrise sky
as people begin to rise

the spear maker squats by the fire
his weapons hardened over coals
he stands to stretch

his eyes turn to the hillside where
earthen thighs hide a sacred spring
three crows circle nearby

he can see the women hurrying
back from the hidden pathway
their movements clumsy in haste

he can see his brother running
from the ochre cliffs signalling
get the spears ready!

fear in their eyes
the women whisper
there is danger here

in gesture language
the old man signals sshhh!
the air is wrong!

Warning
the old man and his wife
hold parliament with magpies

within the meeting circle
chatter is warbled with worry

the remainder of the tribe
wait in the shadows

their trust in tribal ways
is absolute

they watch in silence
ready to flee

the meeting erupts
in a bird storm

strange animals and pale men
burst from the river

Ambush
               hack
hack
hack
hands
heads
hearts
the clan slaughtered
dying
dying
dead

Silence

the ambience of the morning is ruined
the stench of death fills the air
love will exist here no more

a young woman sits like rock
staring at her husband and mother
their bodies turned tombstone

arid eyes silt with sand
tears will no longer flow
life is doomed to drought

scrap the images from your eyes
scrape emotion from your heart
never tell a soul

on the setting sun
she turns to the shadows
oh kumuna oh kumunari

kumuna – bereavement names for deceased male family members
kumunari – bereavement names for deceased female family members

Ali Cobby Eckermann
Ruby Moonlight 
Magdala 2012