In this aquarium room;
metallic bile rises
- Yvonne’s death at
thirty-five, a red-ribbon noose,
marriage meltdown - loss
climbs on loss, like rats
scrabbling on rats
in this blue cube...
where the only sweetness
rising is the scent
of sawdust, a reminder of a time
before cubed blue.
Catherine Mark
Last laugh
The goat with a slit throat,
tongue lolls, blood droplets
form burnt skin blisters
on baked Omoba soil.
My witchdoctor grandfather
cuts up the carcass, spending hours
cleaning, praying and cutting
as the stink of goat douses the air.
Seven-year-old eyes transfixed
by the smirk on the goat’s face.
This sufferer with mirth
as his song – has he breathed
his last chuckle, or has Imo miri
thrown him a lifeline?
*Imo miri - God of the Sea
Do stay connected with my Wirral Walk training updates HERE. This week's entry is titled 'Upping the ante' :)
Training under an April Sunday shower!
Today’s training was hard hard hard! I set off with my trainer friend, Al, at 11:30 am. Although, there was some promise of a splendid sunny Sunday, the skies gave way to a downpour midway through our 4-hour walk. It took us two hours to walk along the canal from Manchester City Centre to Sale (a pleasant suburb in Greater Manchester). In the dry part of the afternoon, it was lovely to share the wonderful sunshine with ducks, fishermen, all manner of narrow boats meandering past, runners, joggers and other walkers. It really was bliss! However as we arrived Sale the droplets turned into downpour and at this point, we did a U-turn and pressed on homeward bound. My pace slowed down, and Al (a hard task master) was on my case to keep up my pace. But the sludge and slippery pavings at various points on the course made it difficult for me to maintain my pace (well, that’s my excuse anyway :) By the 3-hour mark, I could feel a dull ache in my legs and the sharp pain jabbing my feet. (I’m still struggling with feet issues which is being managed by regular Podiatry and Physiotherapy clinics - apparently my ongoing tendonitis/foot/lower back problems are a result of my aging flat feet/damaged nerves). By the 3 1/2-hour mark, my lower back started on me and it took every ounce of energy to complete today’s training. It was agony!!! For my efforts, I managed 12 miles in 4-hours. I really need to up the anti next weekend, if I am to complete the 15-mile walk in May in 5 or 6 hours (being more realistic) as opposed to spending an entire day completing the route (lol). I must find an extra 1.5 hours in me to succeed in this walking challenge (yikes!)
All in all, my training hasn’t been too bad in the last four weeks or so. Prior to going back to full-time teaching, I was managing TWO 1.5 to 3 hour walks a week. Since returning to work, I am walking the 40 minutes each way to the school and then committing to a long walk on Sunday. Well, just under a month to go... so, keep supporting me through reading my updates and/or sponsoring me online (or via post). I really appreciate all your support and well wishes!
Until my next post...
Catherine
On the windowsill
sits a feathery cactus
bulb and a silken candle.
Tidying fly-away braid
neatly beneath headscarf, I watch
yolk gel escape
into a milk jug.
A minute or so later,
heated gloop becomes
spongy eggs.
Beside the pan: creased silver
foil envelops flesh of freshly
baked bread.
For the meal later:
rice grains washed twice
in sieve, gravelly cr-ra-cr-ra
grating wired nerves while a few
grains scurry down
sinkhole
beneath tap
water, stream of cold
and smooth like the smooth sheet
which wrapped slothful curves - tangled
between thighs and whys? - the night
before in my lover’s den.
Catherine Mark
I’ll race you to Oyiboland
where we’ll feast on
bananas and buzzards...
is what I might have said to my boy
cousin whose hands were chained
to a pole in the middle of our Umugbede
compound...
chained up all day and all night,
he cussed all night and all day.
Mad, he was.
Catherine Mark
On Sunday 23rd May 2010, I will be participating in the Wirral Coastal Walk to raise money for two charities - Possible Dreams International (PDI) and an Action Aid project. The goal is to raise £ 1000 (or more) to be split equally between the two organisations!
Possible Dreams International, Inc. (www.possibledreamsinternational.org) is a non profit organisation with a lion’s heart. Their vision statement is “to empower communities in areas of deep and immediate need throughout the world. Through the organisation and financing of community based projects and the raising of awareness regarding issues such as endemic disease, poverty and malnutrition we aim to bring tangible hope into the lives of those for whom the flame of hope seems to flicker on the brink of extinction.”
As a grassroots organisation they “work intimately with community leaders to empower and engage individuals as they walk the road to self- sufficiency. This is achieved through distinct community and family based projects.” To read about some of their recent projects go to: www.possibledreamsinternational.org/the-movement/ and www.possibledreamsinternational.org/swaziland/!
With a commitment to ending poverty Action Aid UK aims “to improve people’s lives every day. But we know that’s not enough. So we work relentlessly to change whatever is keeping them trapped in poverty.This means we have a better chance of ending poverty for good.” For example ActionAid in Burkina Faso: “Focuses on helping families to improve their farming techniques, improving access to health and education, and helping women to generate new sources of income. We have helped establish gardens in schools. One initiative has set up a drying unit to process local fruits and vegetables for sale at market. We support community-run health and HIV & AIDS awareness campaigns, and are working to improve local health services. We also support adult education projects to help adults learn literacy and communication skills and how to access local services.” To find about more about the work and projects of Action Aid go to: www.actionaid.org.uk!
The hope is that the monies raised from this walk will go towards supporting a PDI HIV project in Swaziland and an Action Aid HIV project.
For more information on how to support my efforts please contact me via email. Or visit:-
My Action Aid: Wirral Coastal Walk!I hope you stay connected with my training and fundraising endeavours towards this event.
Catherine x
