Shape of the Beast

Chew

grass is bad now

smells not sweet

grass is dry now

taste of dust

sticks to tongue 

Not filling hunger

Smell 

smell of Acacia tree 

tree here good 

makes shade from hottest sun

between nights.

Tree makes food shade 

Smells of gerenuk

so no leaves to reach up

in the sand 

fallen leaves fallen fruit

good good fruit sweet chewy 

plenty fruit fill hunger…

fill...

fill…

Itch

itch on shoulder

no tick birds here

Acacia tree here

good for scratching…

gooood for scratching...

Listen 

Distant

Small roar not of lions

lions are beyond the hill

small rumble

not of elephants…

rumble bigger…

not stampede of wildebeest 

no wildebeest when ground is driest…

Turn 

turn from tree

face ears to sound…

listen more...

smell more...

taste the air...

Rumble not of rhino

no smell of rhino…

rumble and chatter clatter…

not monkeys…

not porcupine…

not wind, no wind, much heat

chatter of hyena...

Louder

smell of…

smell of… 

smell of the long black track beyond the lion hill

The beasts of the black track are here 

beasts that roar and sting

beasts that kill lions

kill elephants

kill  

Turn

face them 

Face Them 

Rumble not of thunder,

smell of the long black track

shape of the rumbling beast  chatter clatter

Flashes
flashes not of lightening

Face the beast 

Horn down…

CHARGE...