I LIVE IN A LAND OF GHOSTS

I LIVE IN A LAND OF GHOSTS I live in a land of ghosts who softly echo whispers of the past; The road beneath my feet, rough and narrow between green hedges Becomes a winding forest path amongst cool and leafy trees As I walk with my ancestor to the river, the farm, the village dances; As I laugh with her at the wedding singing my ululations to the soft blue sky; As I mourn with her after raiding warriors leave havoc in their wake; As I rise before the sun and tread the cool wet grass to the fields that give us life; As I feel the rough scratch of firewood on my toughened back as I trudge home with the sunset; As I give thanks for my people, whose shadows stretch out behind me, Urging me on to face today, with the courage of my ancestors of yesterday.