Black Leopard, Red Wolf

As be the custom, the men say,

look at him little boy kehkeh, it not ready to be a man yet.

He can’t work a woman koo, better he dig an anthole.

As be the custom, the men say.

Is that why you have husband and not a wife?

Is you the wife?

Strength now, Wolf Eye. Anger is weakness.

So in come the cutter ready for the event

sharp with one knife

the Wolf Eye, he have no mother,

so the chief wife, she be the mother.

She send ox hide for him to sit on

and that way not shame the gods.

They lead him, yes they lead him

past the cattle kraal

past the houses of great elder

up to a little hill where on top is a hut

and he say

Kick the knife, and we will kill you.

Run from the knife

And we disown you

The grand cutter, he take chalk and mark a line

from forehead to nose.

The grand cutter, he take milk and pour all over the Wolf Eye.

The grand cutter, he grab the slain and pull, and pull

he say, One cut!

Kick the knife and we will kill you.

Run from the knife and we will disown you.

He say, One cut!

And the Wolf Eye, he grab the cutter arm

and he say, No.

Listen to me, he say No.

The man in the mountain and the women in the river

hear a whisper that drop like thunder

and everybody quiet.

The Wolf Eye say, The sum of my days

is all about cutting the woman out

Cut her out of me

cut her out of my mother

cut her out of all who walk and carry the world

And he look down at him maleness

crowned at the top by femaleness

and say

What in this make wrong,

how is this not the will of the gods

and if it’s not the will of the gods

then it is the will of me

he look at Mossi and say

You tell me I cut all woman out

from my mother to whoever pass the house

when it is I who leave my mother

and I who would now cut away my own self

and with this he get up

and with this he leave the knife

and he walk away

and the people silent for he still a fierce man

But Mossi trouble him more

Soon as they come back to the tree

this he say,

Stop thinking you have peace

you know what I mean

and Wolf Eye say he don’t know. So stop

and Mossi say, Why tell me stop if you don’t know

And in this way Mossi nag Tracker

And nag and nag and boy he nag

and Tracker raise his hand to strike Mossi

and Mossi say, Nobody has ever loved you finer

but lay that hand on me and you will see it cut off

and shoved in your mouth.

Fine, Tracker say, I will go

just to stop you from being the cockatoo.

And the day come when he turn to go

And he stagger, and he fall, and he say

Come with me or I will fall in the bush

And Mossi go, and the children go

and even me go for Tracker say, Don’t act as if you