Challenging Poetry

Burkina Faso: Les Pics de Sindou

a picture haunts me,
standing stones frozen
in the middle of a story—
a woman in long skirts
crowned by a jug of water
caught by the light
of the waxing moon—
the breath
of a jealous goddess.

I dream her—
improbable scenes
dancing in my head
and I know—
somewhere,
her myth echoes
on the beat of a drum
just beyond my understanding.

daybreak.
with empty jars
crowning their heads
women walk for water—
swaying,
gliding,
following a drumbeat
I don’t know.

Author's Note ▶︎

Les Pics de Sindou are worth the visit according to tripadvisor, but I was especially drawn to the images of it, which reminded me of statues of women with heavy burdens on their heads. I wasn't able to find a story connected to the region, but I'm sure there are myths. For the poem, I chose to focus in on a single statue because it felt more right.

http://www.sethlazar.org/Africa/Burkina-Faso/Bobo-Dioulasso-Banfora/i-MTpbLd3