First Day:
Beasts streak by these city eyes,
gazelles, giraffes, storks fly.
Taxi stops, Nairobi for the night.
A mystical tour takes flight.
First Vision: Heading out a photographic safari
Basket’s balance on heads of Maasai women,
steps behind a striking vision; brightly bouncing Maasai men.
Shukas and spears announce their raucous arrival.
Vermillion garments assure survival.
Full moons trigger villagers trek to marketplace --
They’re herding precious cattle in moonlight’s grace.
Blessed by God, they've enjoyed safe passage for countless decades.
We speed too quickly by this rainbow-colored parade.
7 p.m..we’re done for the day
Our lodging’s a steep .5 km’s away,
Dead tired I’m home, two rooms and a shower.
The tent shakes hard … an ominous prowler?
Second Vision: Masaai Mara
All hell breaks loose at waters edge.
Screams explode just beyond a palmetto hedge.
A lioness leaps into the clearing,
snagging a gazelle before disappearing.
Cruising South, giraffes and gazelles drift by like a dream.
A leopard comes into frame drinking at a stream
As I step to the earth, Jalali grabs me back.
First rule, never, don’t ever do that!
Third Vision: Amboseli National Park
Jalali waves us to hop in word is elephants are near.
No sooner said than a calf appears.
Mad as hell, momma charges up the the rear.
A field away and closing, I pray to God, please hear.
Lionesses' form a kill circle on the top of a hill.
Losing light fast, we choose to stay; sitting dead still.
A surgical strike commences as we pull away.
Warthogs escape, one with no leg, punctuating end of day.
Last trip out a Hippo kill -- it’s fresh.
Dozens of lions are gathered feasting on raw flesh.
Emerging from his hide, blood’s smeared on their faces.
The circle of life’s revealed itself in this primal place.
Airport bound … a melancholy farewell … this is the end,
Thomas Wolfe is right … “You can never go home again.”
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Author Notes
Jalali - My Guide in Africa
Giraffes... a large fleet African ruminant mammal (Giraffa camelopardalis) that is the tallest of living quadrupeds and has a very long neck and a short coat with dark blotches separated by pale lines.
Gazelle... Small antelope of the genus Gazella and allied genera, of Africa and Asia, noted for graceful movements and lustrous eyes.
Stork... any of various large wading birds (family Ciconiidae) chiefly of Asia, Africa, and South America that have long stout bills and are related to the ibises and herons
Maasai... Every Maasai does not wear the exact same clothes, but there are a few common traits. For example, most Maasai wear the color red because it symbolizes their culture and they believe it scares away lions. Also, most of the men wear a shuka, which is a red robe.
Chants... Common rhythms are variations of 5/4, 6/4 and 3/4 time signatures. Lyrics follow a typical theme and are often repeated verbatim over time. Neck movements accompany singing.
Lions... a large heavily built social cat (Panthera leo) of open or rocky areas chiefly of sub-Saharan Africa though once widely distributed throughout Africa and southern Asia that has a tawny body with a tufted tail and a shaggy blackish or dark brown mane in the male
African elephants... a/k/a as the Savanna elephants, are the largest land mammal in the world. They weigh up to 10,000 pounds and grow to 12 feet tall. They have a long trunk that is very flexible. It is used to pick up food and water and carry it to its mouth. The African elephant's size makes them hard for predators to eat, such as leopards, lions, or jaguars. At night, the adults form a circle around the calves to protect them from danger. But in the day, an unlucky calf might wander away from the herd and be some predator's lunch.
Leopards... very agile, and can run at over 36 miles per hour, leap over 20 feet and jump up to 10 feet.
Gnu... wildebeests, also called gnus, are a genus of antelopes, scientific name
Hippos:large herbivorous mammal, Hippopotamus amphibius, having a thick hairless body, short legs, and a large head and muzzle, found in and near the rivers, lakes, etc., of Africa, and able to remain underwater for a considerable time.
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