HOW TO READ MY BODY LANGUAGE
I do not know so much about bodiesBut the chemistry I share with mineis an improper fraction When you see me slouchIt is the silhouette of a girlAfraid of living in her own bodyBecause it is a boulevard of anguish How my body has become a slate for writing wannabe miraclesA litmus paper for religious […]
RAPE
Dear Mberede,How is everything with you? Let’s just broker this for judgement. First,It was a tease. A reminder of my carefully crafted work of art. God probably lost his manners. Utter partiality. What a banging body. That’s why they call me Ujunwa. Secondly,That evening, you spoke without words. A million gestures. Sheer employment for every […]
DYSMENORRHEA
Assuming a scissors stance with legs crossedRegrets drizzled her memoryGazing furtively around the roomShe was lost in thought Wearing an unkempt look and a wrinkled noseHer ears were red with her eyes protruding from its socketIt’s that time of the month again With clenched fists she smacks the wallHow long is this going to linger […]
WHERE I CALL HOME
I grew up in a makeshift hutWhere anger bore holes on our leaky roofHere, we filtered laughter often to weigh its worthUrchins – There were six of us, I became the 7th one In our house, problems creep in and outSo, I dug 7 holes where I poured libations to appease their tempersThe outcome – […]
A LETTER TO MY COUNTRY MAN
You call them WAZOBIA! His tribal marks remind you of how Iya Bisi tore your skin with strokes The aroma sizzles through your nostrilsBrushing your hunger asideYou imagine it splatter through the wall of their intestines A plate of green concoction and atarodo puree – blazing redSlices of pepperSlimy They call it ewedu & AmalaA […]
FLAWS AND ALL
If there is one thing I cherish, it would be how your lip trembles when you call me Barbie. The way I watch each letter part into a symphony to become my name. A tingling sensation. I blush crimson, rubySometimes, maroon then rouge. There is love in sharing, so we toast over an overflowing cup […]
CHRONOLOGY OF BEING HOME
A SCORE CARD 1.Home is fun. I always pretend.Here, work beckons.One of the reasons I never liked paying a visit. The cozy sitting room with lonely couches that always craved my touch and the dusty chandeliers that keeps watch over the screeding on the walls. They never moved an inch.. In a flash, Mama’s wrinkled […]
WANTING TO TELL GOD
I’m starving!Why does it take too long for justice to be served?A slice of Esau’s porridgeChunk of mannaOr salt from Lot’s wife God is asleepSnoring!Not upstairs in the skyBut in the hearts of men God is a School of continuing educationA man of unfinished talksTorn chaptersUpdated every minute Can’t be contained in a bookHe would […]
MY REPLICA AND ITS HALF
The year started on a blank page. I mumbled some resolutions under my breath peeling every habit I once had. Each crumb falling into my mind’s eye. I asked God out and wore him like a medal everywhere I went. Each time I shut my eyes to dream, I always saw God laughing at me, […]
A CHUNK OF HER
She is a parcel of missing lettersWears a placard of misspelt prioritiesHere, they scramble to smash her records She is frailLike the shape of broken figurinesShe loves the barn next doorBut has forgotten to number her yams She is fed up with liesAnd a bloated memory Tales by moonlightMungo Park donated a scoopThat’s how he […]