The Fly-Whisk Man
By Jacquelyn Wallen
A wealthy man, Ethiopian, the neighbors say.
He brackets his Amharic rants
with a volley of piercing whoops
brandishing a horsetail fly whisk,
as befits his status, in a ritual
only he understands.
Evenings, usually, he arrives, facing
the 7-Eleven outside my window,
wearing a trench coat and a cloth
pith helmet, a fly whisk
tucked into his belt like a codpiece.
He draws the whisk like a gun,
to begin his practice.
Of course, the neighbors say he’s mental,
and he probably is. But I like to think it’s more.
Perhaps he’s banishing his own devils with his whisk,
and mine along with them. Or is he sweeping
evil from the neighborhood, or even, how hopeful,
from this dear, troubled world?
NOTE: Horsetail fly whisks are used in many tropical areas to cool off and to whisk away mosquitos. In many African countries, they are part of the ceremonial regalia of royalty and nobility denoting power and authority. In some Asian countries they are used for martial arts and in spiritual practice. As spiritual tools, they remind the practitioner that evil thoughts, desires and/or spirits are like mosquitoes and can simply be swept away.
Jacqie Wallen is an associate professor emerita at the University of Maryland, College Park, and a clinical social worker in private practice.
