NEW GUINEA Apisai Enos

New Guinea, beloved New Guinea

What do they say about you?

The rugged

the impossible

the broken bottle

the hostile

the Saturday made

the waste land

the hot island

the tomb of death

the forgotten isle

The land of thousand tribes and trials

primeval forests of termites, leeches and cicadas

hidden valleys and mountain crags of old

deep gorges and rugged ranges

fast rivers flowing to endless swamps

land of killers and cannibals and sacred corpses

of mountain raiders and mangrove snipers

land of fevers and dreaded diseases

molten lava and sul phureous ashes

of coral beaches with lashing fishes.

New Guinea!

Land of proud warriors of coumge

land of ancestral spirits

entangled in myths and incarnations

land of haus tambaran, dukduk and

land of kovave masks and boards

land of -- hiri,ula ring and fire dance

land of a thousand faces and facets

I hardly know you!

New Guinea, dazzling with diversity

wild, rugged, yet tender.

New Guinea, whispering with love

murmuring, dwe-like and gentle.

Land of swaying palms

frangipani

orchids

hibiscus

rock mosses and water lilies

beautiful like a bride

with a veil of bird of paradise plumes

New Guinea!

My fathers sang to the - kundu drum

my fathersdanced to the garamut

on the banks of your mightyers

the Fly

the Sepik

the Purari

then as now they watched the sun retreat

to the gentle sound of jews harps

and ti lati lo flutes

mum-magic formulas

as the last glitter faded on the hills.

Awake, awake, awake,

wake up New Guinea!

Destruction!

The sky is falling!

Flying creatures inhabit the earth

a mighty bush fire rages.

- Hofoza, Jate, Iko, --- Gamu and Kaia!

God of thunder

god of lightning

spirits of the air

do not destroy me!

Let me not die in this whirlpool of blood

save me before dawn!

Be quiet New Guinea

ancient cocoon

be still!

Don't you know that I am your husband

betrothed to you in childhood

promised to you in the womb?

I have come to celebrate our wedding

I h'bve come to elope with you

into better times.

#PNG, #PapuaNewGuinea, #NewGuinea, #nature, #love

https://pixabay.com/photos/mountains-lakes-nature-landscape-5960985/: Picture Courtesy: Image by lloyd pupaka from Pixabay 

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