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fish dream
the youth has brought home
a long-horned sheep
he has tamed her with his sceptre
the sheep dreams she is a fish
swimming unimpeded
in all directions
even upwards
a woman walks with her fingers
pointing down at her head
a passing gazelle turns
to glance at her
when an armed man
meets a bird
there is a matter of muscle
never of choice
unless the bird
is tree highfamily ibex family
ibex family
women familywhen an armed man meets
any member of the ibex family
he plunges his spear into its flank
the women’s hands rain tearsand when the man pierces
the ibex, the women dance
protection upon the family
and the men are all spears
the long-horned sheep
still dreams of the freedom of a fish
the men rain body fluid
in preparation for the slaughter
the father capers
his son has brought the sheep
tonight he will eat her dreamthe maidens guard the well
all night but the moon is
stolen anyway
on the plain the animals
start the long trek to the other side
the world is full of babies
children women men
Muizenberg, 2005
The symbols are largely based on
pre-dynastic Egyptian sources.