when the utu came

until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter

—Chinua Achebe

when the utu cameit was hypnogogic,like those   gaudy   paintballs   behind     your     eyes,when you rub too hard.

when the utu came,you had earned it.merely by remaining causticawake      & somewhat aware.

your pen had done the dirty work:it was up to readersto scan intenseyour sensate words,

to flit the messageon to designated otherssimply by flicking the pagein their directions.

when the utu camenight-calling in itsopen-mouthed finger-gibethey knew,                  as                                                            they had always known,

they would wake as pariah,pale castrato fingers snatchingat the jaunty sandsof shores no longer stolen—

if they ever woke at all.