Wheels turn
same roads all day
but meet different roads
on hills, lakesides, opulent grass
but could I say the same
for eyes of mine:
same sky?
© Zelda Reville
I was introduced to the eintou form through the NaPoWriMo blog, which has its roots in African American poetry. The word “eintou” means “pearl” in West African, so it literally is what you call a poetical “pearl of wisdom.” A quote from this page eludicates the deeper meaning behind the form. In addition to everything else, this video seems to tie in real neatly with the eintou with its musical repetition and the cyclical/rotational nature of wheels.
The 2-4-6-8-6-4-2 structure of the Eintou is crucial in terms of African and African American philosophy. Life is a cycle. Everything returns to that from which it originates. The concept of a pearl, which is a sphere, and the cyclic nature of the Eintou’s structure capture this. The life of the Eintou begins with two syllables or words, expands as though growing and then returns to two syllables or words. In this fashion the Eintou never escapes its beginnings or history. It flows from, through, and ultimately returns to that from which it came.
Zelda Reville 