Fado of the Vulture

(based on lyrics by Jose Afonso and a speech by Malcolm X)

by T.P. Wilkinson / January 31st, 2021

It once flew like an eagle,
strong and deadly too.
It once flew like an eagle
High, strong and deadly too.

Now it’s just a vulture, yes
It feeds upon our souls.
It feeds upon our souls.

The sweat our lives were made with,
our parents and our own
can’t quench that beastly thirst
Can’t drain blood from a stone.

T.P. Wilkinson, Dr. rer. pol. writes, teaches History and English, directs theatre and coaches cricket between the cradles of Heine and Saramago. He is author of Unbecoming American: A War Memoir and also Church Clothes, Land, Mission and the End of Apartheid in South Africa. Read other articles by T.P..

This article was posted on Sunday, January 31st, 2021 at 8:02am and is filed under Poetry.