Evie Shockley

 pantoum: landing, 1976

dreaming the lives of the ancestors,

you awake, justly terrified of this world:

you could dance underwater and not get wet,

you hear, but the pressure is drowning you:

 

you’re awake, but just terrified of this world,

where all solids are ice: underwater boogie,

you hear, but the press sure is drowning you:

the igbo were walking, not dancing:

where all solids are ice, underwater boogie

is good advice, because they’re quick to melt:

the igbo were straight up walking, not dancing:

and you’ve still got to get through this life:

 

take my advice, quickly: they’re melting:

you could dance underwater and not get wet:

and you’ve got to, to get through this life still

dreaming the lives of the ancestors