An Israelite prophet sojourning in Sierra
Leone happened on a Gullah priest canting
Igbo slave tunes at a ' ring shout.’ From
this priest, the prophet begged a bundle
of twigs, with which to weave a weeping
willow basket. He lined it with lion tuft,
& blood-stained Kinte cloth--filled
it with gubers, Jollof rice, grandmama
scriptures & living sculptures, cast
in the doctrines of Father Divine.
He strapped the burden to his back
with overseer lashings: walked on water
through a chain of Lowcountry islands,
& laid it all on the altar ofmagnolia anthers