Alice pulled the
dusty poncho off over
her dreadlocks
and took off her sunglasses.

The shaman was wearing
a white rabbitskin cloak
and a talisman
shaped like a caterpillar.

He was smoking a long pipe
carved with cats’ teeth and
painted with blood red hearts
and diamonds.

And they beat on their drums.

And they chanted, and danced, and
threw leaves on the fire,
and the beating of drums,

and the smoke rose like crows
and the chanting and dancing

and they gave her a
tea made of mushrooms
to drink
from a dull wooden bowl

they were feeding their heads

and she swayed
and she swayed

and the beat of the drums

and the head-dresses
like crowns and like
top hats and ears

and the beat of the drums
and the beat of the drums

and she followed the shaman
into the cave like a burrow
or rabbit-hole

in the roots of a tree.