Black

Black

I am the raven,
the silent black space
behind a knot
in a tree,
the deep, hollow breath
of thick shadows
that whisper secrets
to the night.

I am the silhouette
of budding acacias,
umbrellas
over weary elephants
yawning in the shade.
I am the low rumble
from purring throats
sweeping across the grasses
of the warm earth.

I am the stillness
before lightning scratches
across a purple-blue sky,
soft after-glow
left behind the eyes
when the world fades back
to black.

I am the rich red earth
that formed me
in my mother's womb,
the sculpted ebony wood
from the banks of the Sand River.

I am the eye
swooping down on desert dunes
and palm groves.
I am the dance of wings
against the African sky.
And I am the raven.


JMariah

"Shadows and Light Poetry Contest"