The tribes on the other side of the waters called them
the “flower people”. They never laid a hand on a plant or stole the breath of
life from an animal without asking sincere and profound forgiveness to the
spirit of the animal or the plant, these ambassadors to Great Wind’s spirit.
The gum-tree warriors!
Initiated in the crafts of Arat Subulungan,
proud Mentawai art of ink-cutting.
Adorned with embellished necklace,
their hair flowered, even ears.
Bow with poisonous arrow!
The strong fighters’ loin cloths
are beautiful and embellished,
and hung by them, the sharpest palitai knife…
and a kurabit shield hangs too on their backs
as always!
their women sharpen their teeth with a chisel for
aesthetic reasons, and also often as a rite of passage. they transform their
teeth in this manner, I have heard, in order to mimic those of a shark.
and just for that
reason alone,
and for a thousand
other ones, i say:
glory be
to the Mentawai,
you, human relics
of flesh and faith!
i hope you muster
to outlive the
grinding despair
of modernity
and all of its
ugly children
spreading
disease.
:o
SvaraRadera