Black king dance out front of the crowd,
and witch-doctors batter the tom-tom.
Big black women laugh bawdy and loud,
Pelele stain their mouths, and burn.
The dirty cauldron bubble:
some bird bones, and a child.
Our Elder Father Helper Sun
he hurt us unaware.
Seven times the light go by,
seven times to earth from sun.
We look and see the dark turn cold.
We look and we see Requiem.
Black king dance out front of the crowd,
and witch-doctors batter the tom-tom.