Tufiakwa!

Dark night cradled the full moon.
A moment of purging.
A time for exorcism.
To send the devil himself deep into the abyss of hell.

"Tufia!" Mother spat into earth.
Twelve naked women chanted voodoo rhymes.
An eerie circle enclosed the demon; kissed by the devil himself.
With cries piercing the night like rusty needles.

I was born Five years ago.
Mother barely fed me.
Boys never played with me.
I ate dust and chewed water.
I was born a loner
I was born on a full moon's night.
On this night, the devil kisses a demon goodbye from hell.

Wet bamboo sticks borrowed skin off of my back.
There stood mother,
Chanting riddles,
Calling names of ancestors,
Imposing white powder on my dusty body.
Yet, I answered none of those names.
None was mine.

Dark night cradled the full moon.
A time to seal the devil in his own home.
I was born Ten years ago.
There stood mother,
With more space in her mouth than teeth.
Pointing pale fingers at me,
With eyes as dark as coal.
Voodoo chants rose in tempo and sound.
Casting an evil they knew not.
To resuscitate the devil in their hearts.
I answered none of those names.
None was mine.

Dark night caresses the moon today.
I was born half a century ago.
Men visit oracles after seeing me.
Women close their eyes before me.
Mother is old and bent.
I bear a mark I do not know.
I seek an absolution given to dogs.
I remain a pariah.
For I was born under full moon.
A night evil had promised it would return.
I received strokes for an evil they already had.
For evil was born in their hearts under every full moon.
Now, they do evil's bidding.
They set to do the devil's work for him.
Punishing innocents.
Casting their very souls into hell.
They beg for a cup of absolution.
Indeed, evil was crowned in them every purging night.