Great White Pearl
by
H. Kent Craig
©1981
He lay under the tree
his eyes burning with defiance
he wouldn't let go of his dignity
He had been
and now it was time
for him to suffer
The man's purple black skin
shone in the moonlight
he was threatening,
the ropes that bound him were worthless
each time he moved
shifted his weight
the men standing over him jerked with fear
There were ten men
all black Africans from the bush
all with marks of life clearly visible
on their worn hides
Each man held a long barbed spear
one man stood apart from the others
he was a little too loud
a little too arrogant
he didn't hide his fear, his youth
from the man on the ground
The man rolled his head, coughed once
and spit in the direction of the youth
the phlegm on the youth's skin splattered
the man knew the youth
he knew he needed to be angered
to do what he had to do
They had been friends
he had taught the youth much
but that was over
the youth was enraged
he cursed the man
strode over to him
and kicked him in the side
wiping the phlegm on the man
The man of the ground moaned
but nothing more
he never took his eyes from the youth
on command
the ten men began stabbing on the man on the ground
repeatedly
not deeply, just an inch
the barbs ripping away as they withdrew
The man on the ground writhed in pain
but never made a sound
the men jabbed and withdrew
jabbed and withdrew
his strength remained
he would not die broken
he would be what he had always been
there was nothing on this Earth
that could alter that
The youth gave another command
the men stopped
the man on the ground lay still
blood running from his wounds
mingling with the dark earth
The man turned his head to one side
and cast his eyes at the youth again
they were clear and piercing
pain hadn't clouded them at all
the youth looked away, in mocking disgust
He didn't feel disgust
he felt panic
an old woman appeared from the darkness
and walked towards the man
She held a large rock in her hand
she walked gracefully
she was the man's mother
old and proud, she stood straight
as she approached her son
a warm wind blew through the clearing
The man on the ground moaned slightly
the woman knelt down by the man
and looked into his eyes for a long time
she spoke to the ten men
four of them put down their spears
walked to the man
and pinned his legs down by the ankles
The woman looked away from the man
raised the rock
and brought it down hard
on the man's kneecap
the man screamed in agony
the woman continued to smash the kneecap
blood spattered on her dark skin
The man's bones stood out
like smashed pearls on black velvet
the woman got up
and moved to the other leg
she raised the rock
brought it down
splitting the second kneecap like an egg
She kept beating until the youth spoke
the man on the ground was broken
the pain was in his eyes
he had become small
he was as insignificant
as an ant caught underfoot
the youth and the men relaxed
The woman appeared again
this time with a jug
the jug was steaming
it held a boiling liquid
she reached down
touched the man
and whispered something in his ear
He opened his eyes
saw what she was holding
and began to scream
the woman poured the boiling liquid animal fat
onto the man's legs
his flesh fell away like ice on a window
his wings forever gone
The youth picked up a stake
and drove it through the man's stomach
pinning him to the earth
They left the man under the tree in the night
the moon lumbered on the horizon
the land was black, the sky was black
the horizon a deep sash
the moon, a great white pearl
hung between them
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