Poem 15

Soucouyant

A ball of fire flying through the night
Deep in the village
Causing quite a fright

They say it’s a woman
Perhaps the Devil’s wife
A witch perhaps
Something magical and powerful
All the way from Africa

Anyone waking up with marks
Black and blue it’s not a mysterious bruise
“She done suck yuh blood!”

All in an uproar
The villagers will catch her

Next night when she takes off her skin

If found by the mortar they’ll throw salt in

If not

they’ll protect their homes throwing a 100 pound bag of rice around and she won’t be able to enter till she counts every last grain

And if she’s still out when the sun appears

She’ll be destroyed by its angelic rays