A Writer Writes — 5 Poems from West Africa (page 2)

5 Poems from West Africa (page 2)

5 Poems from West Africa
page 1
page 2

Birth

The lantern made
A light creaking noise
As it swung by my side
On a walk through the village
Of red mud and grass
That was a labyrinth
Lost somewhere in time
Thousands of years ago
I don't remember
If I walked in the light of the moon
Or in the darkness
When I came upon
The orange glow of candles
Coming from a room with walls
That would fall in the rain
There was a woman laid back
On an old bamboo chair
Giving birth in the center of the room
In the center of the ancient village,
In the center of Africa
And what felt like the
Very center of time itself

The Shadowless Light of Memory

She saw a leaf leave the tree
And float down away
From the perfect blue sky
In the white light of the day
A kind of shadowless light
Painting itself on all sides of the leaf
She quietly watched
Until it landed in her palm
Lightly, the way memories
Fell onto her mind
Like those of Africa
Of the people's eyes
Sparkling
As if constellations
Lived in them
Shooting stars, twinkling stars,
Night skies filled with stars
Were the people's eyes
And at times
The stars became veiled
As if behind a cloud
Until the storm passed
And the stars shone once again
In the clear sky
Of their eyes
The shining backdrop
Of the memories
That fell like leaves
Onto her mind

Carrie Young lived in a small, rural village of Mali without electricity or running water. She is inspired by the effect that living so close to the natural world had on her, and wants to share the beauty and reality of that experience with others. She also feels that it is her responsibility to tell the story of the people of her village who took her in like family and generously shared their lives and souls with her.
After the Peace Corps Carrie spent a season living and working in the south of France, and then worked as a researcher for National Geographic Magazine from 2002–2004. She is currently pursuing graduate studies in creative writing.


				5 Poems from West Africa (page 2)

	5 Poems from West Africa page 1 page 2			*Birth* The lantern made A light creaking noise As it swung by my side On a walk through the village Of red mud and grass That was a labyrinth Lost somewhere in time Thousands of years ago I don't remember If I walked in the light of the moon Or in the darkness When I came upon The orange glow of candles Coming from a room with walls That would fall in the rain There was a woman laid back On an old bamboo chair Giving birth in the center of the room In the center of the ancient village, In the center of Africa And what felt like the Very center of time itself *The Shadowless Light of Memory* She saw a leaf leave the tree And float down away From the perfect blue sky In the white light of the day A kind of shadowless light Painting itself on all sides of the leaf She quietly watched Until it landed in her palm Lightly, the way memories Fell onto her mind Like those of Africa Of the people's eyes Sparkling As if constellations Lived in them Shooting stars, twinkling stars, Night skies filled with stars Were the people's eyes And at times The stars became veiled As if behind a cloud Until the storm passed And the stars shone once again In the clear sky Of their eyes The shining backdrop Of the memories That fell like leaves Onto her mind

				Carrie Young lived in a small, rural village of Mali without electricity or running water. She is inspired by the effect that living so close to the natural world had on her, and wants to share the beauty and reality of that experience with others. She also feels that it is her responsibility to tell the story of the people of her village who took her in like family and generously shared their lives and souls with her. After the Peace Corps Carrie spent a season living and working in the south of France, and then worked as a researcher for National Geographic Magazine from 2002–2004. She is currently pursuing graduate studies in creative writing.