A/N: If you are unacquainted with Reuter's youngest photojournalist and artist Dan Eldon, please take a few moments to copy the following links into your browser and view these two short videos before reading the poem. You will find yourself forever changed. The events leading up to Eldon's tragic death in Mogadishu at the age of 22 are documented in the acclaimed film "Black Hawk Down". His extraordinary legacy continues to inspire people all around the world.
Thank you, Nancy
The Art of Life - Part 1: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZxxgetWUi1o
The Art of Life - Part 2: http://youtube.com/watch?v=wZQWX5tGZFs
INTO AFRICA
Africa was never my itinerary,
the route clearly marked on my ancestral map of Ireland,
spread out on the floor like a patchwork quilt
so I could smooth out the crinkly creases
that never folded up the same way twice.
My eyes drifted toward Africa
and I saw your face gazing back at me
from old photographs I’d seen in books,
your hair and smile so present I felt
I could stretch my hand through time
and gently touch them.
I wanted to trace the boyish curves and lines
of your cheekbones and shoulders
now embraced only by paper borders.
I look at your journals
and colors shoot out like kaleidoscope flashes,
imprinting pictures onto my retinas.
You didn't see me watching you
through the time lens of my mind
as you worked your secret alchemy with paints and brushes,
composing with tape and glue the detritus of your day
that lay scattered on the floor,
your feet scuffing and rearranging it yet again.
Your translucent form shimmers above images
that capture your spirit like a camera.
Moving across the pages,
my fingers trekked savannas and canoed rivers
and, when I looked at them,
instead of my own whorled prints
I saw the dark contours of Africa
inked into the tips
like black tattoos that wouldn’t come off.
You invite us into your fire circle
as if you are some tribal elder
imparting ancient wisdom from the gods.
I folded my map, turned away from Ireland,
and crossed into Africa.
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