Bride of the Water Buffalo God
by Kirsten Anderson
Marania:
My dance by the river I dedicate to Re-ma-ku
Giver of light, giver of life.
My arms reach out to you
My feet remain grounded in you.
As the force of all life,
I ask that you bless me
With good fortune and marriage
And reveal my destiny.
Water Buffalo God:
What is this I hear above?
What is this I smell above?
The girl who summons Re-ma-ku
Dances a beautiful prayer.
I must go to the surface and see,
For I too am part of life
That Re-ma-ku bestows.
Chorus:
Girl, you have summoned the god!
See how he rises from the water.
Ah, the mighty head of the water buffalo
With the nostrils stretched wide!
So dark is your power
So great the lushness within
The god can smell it.
You will be his bride;
Terrifying yet great is the honor
And a necessary sacrifice.
Water Buffalo God:
Aha! Little one, you are mine,
Too long I have gone without.
Your sauce is perfect for my meat
The tilt of your hips
Tells a story I’d like to hear.
Down you will come with me
To my great palace below,
Filled with treasures of the world
Immense wealth will be yours.
Do not be alarmed my dear —
Your life will change completely.
To be the wife of a god
Is not to remain ordinary.
Chorus:
The pressure is great.
To walk the thinnest line
Between mortal and immortal
To be pregnant with knowledge
Both humble and sublime
Is to endure a state of agony and grace.
Be brave, girl,
The tilt of your hips is your strength.
Water Buffalo God:
Wa-ha-ha! Wu-ho-ho!
A honeymoon to dazzle, a queenship to own.
Say yes, girl,
And your soul will flow like water.
Marania:
As Re-ma-ku is my witness,
As the stars sanctify my thoughts,
As the sun smiles down on my body,
As the earth supports my feet,
I say yes to the water buffalo god.
I say yes.
Wi-hee-hee!
Kirsten Anderson has a degree in folklore and still likes to stay up late at night to read fairy tales. Her short stories and poems have appeared in The Rose & Thorn, Wild Violet, MicroHorror, Long Story Short, Apollo's Lyre, Illya's Honey, and The Smoking Poet. Her favorite fruit is the pink lady apple.
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