new warrior

How did we begin to use weapons?

Shed golden

leaves

scatter before her,

whirlwinds

seen by

sidelong glance.

She breaks a

fallen branch with her knee.

Two pieces become

one in each hand.

Pushing herself up,

she continues to run.

 

Hidden

deep within the Bo Tree,

she lay in silence

for a night and a day;

awake, listening,

her senses unforgiving

until she was finally

sniffed out.

 

 

Now

fingernail

claws drawn and

hair raised,

she has no fear

no pain

no thirst

no past

no future

no thought.

 

She runs.

 

No more hiding

as trees thin out

to chest high brush,

her breathing sharp

shallow

even.

She cannot stumble again.

 

Close now,

She feels nothing.

Strength will not save her,

only instinct.

 

Reaching the top

of a ravine,

she swiftly turns with

broken branches

thrust up.

One breaks on thick hide,

the other enters

just below the jawbone

and into the brain.

The dark shape fills the fading sky

then collapses on top of her.

 

She pushes

the heavy body away,

wipes off the blood

and with the stained, sharp stick

still in her hand

walks onto the savanna . . .

 

© 2010 Mark C. Jackson

Reviews

[therisa]

Reading this poem, reminded me, of a documenty about the chimpanzees and their usage of tools to hunt for food. How it is, the females that teach their young, by demonstrated, than try on their own. I can, also see the influences of Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey, in this poem. It is very possible humanity is not the only creature to use tool, as weapon or as a tool to gather food.

[Mark C. Jackson]

Exactly that. I asked myself how we began using tools and weapons and this scenario came up. My mother took me to the cinema to see 2001 in 1969, it's stayed with me ever since. Thanks for the review and comment.

[TheFemininePad]

A certainly interesting read Mark. It brings up how human kind thought to use weapons. This reminds me of 2001: A Space Odyssey. If you ever get a chance I recommend it as a science fiction film. The very beginning demonstrates how we learn to use weapons. Your poem brought that to my mind. I don't have any suggestions on how you could improve your poem.