Grandfather had called it Inkanyamba
great monster snake
and she can hear him in the primeval of her youth
eyes glittering at the great uncoiling
and the awakening tail's thrashing

He told her, Elsie said
that it lived in the dam on the mountaintop
fiercely protective of its child
ruthlessly defensive, instantly destructive
violent at threat to its diffusely spectral offspring

When it awoke to the imminent peril and intimidation
un-rooted itself glistening and steaming
separating in boiling froth from the unquiet heaving
it was fear and anger, Elsie said
and her neighbour Nesta swore it was the whites with airplanes

The sergeant reported seeing it cross a farm dam
angry tail flailing in smiting thirst, lightning diamonding its raven crown
and absorbing half the quaking volume, darker in new moult
punishing the seething earth and all its unsafe havens
and Nesta knew it thought the planes would take its child

She told reporters that such anger could lead to annihilation
and was not surprised when in thirteen minutes' decimation
it took a hundred houses, splintering succour and safety
ravingly slithering, warning with injury and homelessness
rearing its swaying serpent head gazing from shattered clouds

Migrating to new refuge for future children -
I tend to believe that it did not look back
as army troops swarmed into Harrismith
and reporters learned the actual truth and motive
adequately proven by the havoc and so easily forgotten

In these unsettling and disturbing times so homeless of tradition
Inkanyamba reminding of respect for nature's silence
totally dismissive of the roar of small needs reflecting
off the towering kloof walls and mute sunset crags
and rolling across the ancient grasslands

_{(From a newspaper report and interview of locals in Harrismith after the Tornado of Sunday the fifteenth of November, 1998 - I warrant that I've taken some minor licence with the interviewee's observations and sentiments and do not pretend to speak on their behalf - the essence of their reports is accurately reflected though.)}

copyright © FVO 1999