In on of the three jugs
The three jugs where on certain evenings return the tranquil souls,
the breaths of the ancestors,
the ancestors who were men,
the ancestors who were sages,
Mother has dipped three fingers
three fingers of her left hand:
thumb,forefinger and middle finger
i have dipped three fingers
three fingers of my right hand:
thumb,forefinger and middle finger.
(From “Viaticum”by B.Diop)
In this poem,the repetitive pattern suggests
- pain,agony, and misery
-
ritual or established form of worship
- the love of a mother for her child
- the beauty of the full moon
- the glorious lives of our ancestors